Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 1‘Yes, there are clerks,’ said a member of the district coun-
cil, joining the group.
‘And do you know that Nazaryev, the merchant with the
medal, a juryman?’
‘What of him?’
‘He is a man with brains.’
‘But he never speaks.’
‘He is no great talker, but so much the better. There’s no
need for the Petersburg man to teach him: he could teach
all Petersburg himself. He’s the father of twelve children.
Think of that!’
‘Upon my word, you don’t suppose they won’t acquit him?’
one of our young officials exclaimed in another group.
‘They’ll acquit him for certain,’ said a resolute voice.
‘It would be shameful, disgraceful, not to acquit him
cried the official. ‘Suppose he did murder him — there are
fathers and fathers! And, besides, he was in such a frenzy....
He really may have done nothing but swing the pestle in the
air, and so knocked the old man down. But it was a pity they
dragged the valet in. That was simply an absurd theory! If
I’d been in Fetyukovitch’s place, I should simply have said
straight out: ‘He murdered him; but he is not guilty, hang
it all!’
‘That’s what he did, only without saying, ‘Hang it all!’’
‘No, Mihail Semyonovitch, he almost said that, too,’ put
in a third voice.
‘Why, gentlemen, in Lent an actress was acquitted in our
town who had cut the throat of her lover’s lawful wife.’
‘Oh, but she did not finish cutting it.’