Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 110 surmise for the last two months in local society. Everyone
knew, too, that the case had become known throughout
Russia, but yet we had not imagined that it had aroused
such burning, such intense, interest in everyone, not only
among ourselves, but all over Russia. This became evident
at the trial this day.
Visitors had arrived not only from the chief town of our
province, but from several other Russian towns, as well as
from Moscow and Petersburg. Among them were lawyers,
ladies, and even several distinguished personages. Every
ticket of admission had been snatched up. A special place be-
hind the table at which the three judges sat was set apart for
the most distinguished and important of the men visitors;
a row of arm-chairs had been placed there — something
exceptional, which had never been allowed before. A large
proportion not less than half of the public — were ladies.
There was such a large number of lawyers from all parts that
they did not know where to seat them, for every ticket had
long since been eagerly sought for and distributed. I saw at
the end of the room, behind the platform, a special partition
hurriedly put up, behind which all these lawyers were ad-
mitted, and they thought themselves lucky to have standing
room there, for all chairs had been removed for the sake of
space, and the crowd behind the partition stood through-
out the case closely packed, shoulder to shoulder.
Some of the ladies, especially those who came from a
distance, made their appearance in the gallery very smartly
dressed, but the majority of the ladies were oblivious even of
dress. Their faces betrayed hysterical, intense, almost mor-