MASLOVA IN PRISON.
Maslova reached her cell only at six in the evening, tired and footsore, having, unaccustomed as she was to walking, gone 10 miles on the stony road that day. She was crushed by the unexpectedly severe sentence and tormented by hunger. During the first interval of her trial, when the soldiers were eating bread and hard-boiled eggs in her presence, her mouth watered and she realised she was hungry, but considered it beneath her dignity to beg of them. Three hours later the desire to eat had passed, and she felt only weak. It was then she received the unexpected sentence. At first she thought she had made a mistake; she could not imagine herself as a convict in Siberia, and could not believe what she heard. But seeing the quiet, business-like faces of judges and jury, who heard this news as if it were perfectly natural and expected, she grew indignant, and proclaimed loudly to the whole Court that she was not guilty. Finding that her cry was also taken as something natural and expected, and feeling incapable of altering matters, she was horror-struck and began to weep in despair, knowing that she must submit to the cruel and surprising injustice that had been done her. What astonished her most was that young men--or, at any rate, not old men--the same men who always looked so approvingly at her (one of them, the public prosecutor, she had seen in quite a different humour) had condemned her. While she was sitting in the prisoners' room before the trial and during the intervals, she saw these men looking in at the open door pretending they had to pass there on some business, or enter the room and gaze on her with approval. And then, for some unknown reason, these same men had condemned her to hard labour, though she was innocent of the charge laid against her. At first she cried, but then quieted down and sat perfectly stunned in the prisoners' room, waiting to be led back. She wanted only two things now--tobacco and strong drink. In this state Botchkova and Kartinkin found her when they were led into the same room after being sentenced. Botchkova began at once to scold her, and call her a "convict."
"Well! What have you gained? justified yourself, have you? What you have deserved, that you've got. Out in Siberia you'll give up your finery, no fear!"
Maslova sat with her hands inside her sleeves, hanging her head and looking in front of her at the dirty floor without moving, only saying: "I don't bother you, so don't you bother me. I don't bother you, do I?" she repeated this several times, and was silent again. She did brighten up a little when Botchkova and Kartinkin were led away and an attendant brought her three roubles.
"Are you Maslova?" he asked. "Here you are; a lady sent it you," he said, giving her the money.
"A lady--what lady?"
"You just take it. I'm not going to talk to you."
This money was sent by Kitaeva, the keeper of the house in which she used to live. As she was leaving the court she turned to the usher with the question whether she might give Maslova a little money. The usher said she might. Having got permission, she removed the three-buttoned Swedish kid glove from her plump, white hand, and from an elegant purse brought from the back folds of her silk skirt took a pile of coupons, [in Russia coupons cut off interest-bearing papers are often used as money] just cut off from the interest-bearing papers which she had earned in her establishment, chose one worth 2 roubles and 50 copecks, added two 20 and one 10-copeck coins, and gave all this to the usher. The usher called an attendant, and in his presence gave the money.
"Belease to giff it accurately," said Carolina Albertovna Kitaeva.
The attendant was hurt by her want of confidence, and that was why he treated Maslova so brusquely. Maslova was glad of the money, because it could give her the only thing she now desired. "If I could but get cigarettes and take a whiff!" she said to herself, and all her thoughts centred on the one desire to smoke and drink. She longed for spirits so that she tasted them and felt the strength they would give her; and she greedily breathed in the air when the fumes of tobacco reached her from the door of a room that opened into the corridor. But she had to wait long, for the secretary, who should have given the order for her to go, forgot about the prisoners while talking and even disputing with one of the advocates about the article forbidden by the censor.
At last, about five o'clock, she was allowed to go, and was led away through the back door by her escort, the Nijni man and the Tchoovash. Then, still within the entrance to the Law Courts, she gave them 50 copecks, asking them to get her two rolls and some cigarettes. The Tchoovash laughed, took the money, and said, "All right; I'll get 'em," and really got her the rolls and the cigarettes and honestly returned the change. She was not allowed to smoke on the way, and, with her craving unsatisfied, she continued her way to the prison. When she was brought to the gate of the prison, a hundred convicts who had arrived by rail were being led in. The convicts, bearded, clean-shaven, old, young, Russians, foreigners, some with their heads shaved and rattling with the chains on their feet, filled the anteroom with dust, noise and an acid smell of perspiration. Passing Maslova, all the convicts looked at her, and some came up to her and brushed her as they passed.
"Ay, here's a wench--a fine one," said one.
"My respects to you, miss," said another, winking at her. One dark man with a moustache, the rest of his face and the back of his head clean shaved, rattling with his chains and catching her feet in them, sprang near and embraced her.
"What! don't you know your chum? Come, come; don't give yourself airs," showing his teeth and his eyes glittering when she pushed him away.
"You rascal! what are you up to?" shouted the inspector's assistant, coming in from behind. The convict shrank back and jumped away. The assistant assailed Maslova.
"What are you here for?"
Maslova was going to say she had been brought back from the Law Courts, but she was so tired that she did not care to speak.
"She has returned from the Law Courts, sir," said one of the soldiers, coming forward with his fingers lifted to his cap.
"Well, hand her over to the chief warder. I won't have this sort of thing."
"Yes, sir."
"Sokoloff, take her in!" shouted the assistant inspector.
The chief warder came up, gave Maslova a slap on the shoulder, and making a sign with his head for her to follow led her into the corridor of the women's ward. There she was searched, and as nothing prohibited was found on her (she had hidden her box of cigarettes inside a roll) she was led to the cell she had left in the morning.
玛丝洛娃直到傍晚六时才回到牢房.她不一习一惯长途跋涉,如今一口气走了十五里石子路,感到两一腿酸痛,一精一神上又受到意想不到的严厉判决的打击,再加饥饿难忍,人简直要瘫下来.
在一次审讯暂停时,法警们在她旁边吃着面包和煮鸡蛋,她嘴里涌满口水.她感到饥饿,但去向他们讨一点来吃,又觉得失面子.这以后又过了三小时,她不再想吃东西,但觉得浑身乏力.就在这时,她听到了意想不到的判决.最初一刹那,她以为是她听错了,无法相信听到的话,无法把苦役犯这个词儿同自己联系起来.不过,她看见法官和陪审员脸上都那么一本正经,无动于衷,判决时都若无其事,感到十分气愤,就向整个法庭大声叫屈.但看到就连她的叫屈人家也不当一回事,又不能改变局面,她就哭了,觉得只好顺受那个硬加到她头上的天大冤屈.特别使她感到惊讶的是,那么残酷地给她判刑的竟是那些一直和蔼可亲地打量着她的中年和青年男人.她看出,只有一个人,就是那个副检察官,心情一直与别人不同.她起初坐在犯人拘留室里等待开庭,后来在审讯暂停时又坐在那里,她看到这些男人都假装有什么事,在她门口走来走去,或者索一性一走进房间里来,只是为了要好好地看看她.谁想到就是这些男人竟莫名其妙地判她服苦役,尽管她并没有犯被控告的那些罪.开头她放声痛哭,后来停止了哭泣,呆呆地坐在拘留室里,等待押回监狱.现在她只渴望一件事:吸烟.当包奇科娃和卡尔津金在宣判后也被押到这个房间里时,她正处在这样的一精一神状态.包奇科娃一来就骂玛丝洛娃,叫她苦役犯.
"怎么样,你赢了?没罪了?这回怕逃不掉了吧,贱货!
你这是罪有应得.服了苦役,看你还怎么卖俏?"
玛丝洛娃双手揣在囚袍袖管里,坐在那儿,低下头,呆呆地望着前面两步外那块踩得很脏的地板,嘴里只是说:
"我没惹您,您也别来犯我.我可没惹您,"她反复说了几遍,就不再吭声了.直到卡尔津金和包奇科娃被押走,一个法警给她送来三个卢布,她才变得稍微灵活些.
"你是玛丝洛娃吗?"他问."拿去,这是一位太太送给你的,"法警说着把钱一交一给她.
"哪位太太?"
"你拿去就是了,谁高兴跟你多罗唆."
这钱是一妓一院掌班基达耶娃叫他送来的.她离开法庭的时候,问民事执行吏,她能不能给玛丝洛娃一点钱.民事执行吏说可以.她获得许可,就脱一下钉有三个钮扣的麂皮手套,露出又白又胖的手,从绸裙的后面皱褶里掏出一个时式钱包.钱包里装着厚厚一叠息票①,那都是她从一妓一院挣得的证券上剪下来的.她取出一张两卢布五十戈比的息票,再加上两枚二十戈比的硬币和一枚十戈比的硬币,一交一给民事执行吏.民事执行吏唤来一名法警,当着女施主的面把这些钱一交一给法警.
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①在帝俄时代,证券的息票往往当现钱流通.
"请您务必一交一给她,"基达耶娃对法警说.
法警因为人家如此不信任他而生气,所以才那么怒气冲冲地对待玛丝洛娃.
玛丝洛娃拿到钱很高兴,因为有了这钱就可以弄到此刻她所想要的唯一东西.
"真想弄些烟来一抽一抽一,"她渴望一抽一烟,暗自想着.她实在想一抽一烟,就拚命吸着弥漫在走廊里的烟味--那是从各个办公室里飘出来的.但她还得等待好多时候,因为负责派人遣送她回狱的书记官把被告给忘了,只顾同一名律师谈论一篇查禁的文章,甚至同他发生了争吵.审判结束后,有几个年轻的和年老的男人特意走来看她一眼,一交一头接耳地议论着什么.但她此刻根本不去理会他们.
直到四点多钟,她才被押解回狱.押解她的那个下城人和楚瓦什人从后门把她带出法庭.还在法庭门厅里,她就给了他们二十戈比,要求他们给她买两个白面包和一包香烟.楚瓦什人笑了,接过钱说:
"好的,我们去给你买,"他说完真的去给她买了香烟和面包,并且把找头一交一给她.
路上是不准吸烟的.这样玛丝洛娃只得带着没有满足的烟瘾走回牢房.她回到监狱门口,大约有一百名男犯正好从火车站被解到这里来.她在过道里遇见了他们.
那些犯人有留大一胡一子的,有不留一胡一子的,有年老的,有年轻的,有俄罗斯人,有其他民族的人,有些人剃了一�一�一头,脚上哐啷哐啷地带着铁镣.他们弄得前屋里灰尘飞扬,并且充满脚步声,说话声和汗酸气.这些犯人从玛丝洛娃身边走过时,都色迷迷地打量着她,有几个擦着她的身一子走过,脸上现出一�H一猥的丑态.
"嘿,这妞儿,长得多俏,"一个犯人说.
"你好哇,小一娘一子,"另一个挤挤眼说.
一个脸色黝一黑的犯人,后脑壳剃得发青,刮得一精一光的脸上留着小一胡一子,脚上拖着哐啷啷响的脚镣,跳到她跟前,一把搂住她.
"难道连老朋友都不认得了?哼,别装腔了!"他露出牙,闪亮眼睛,嚷道.玛丝洛娃把他推开了.
"你这是要干什么,混蛋?"副典狱长从后面走过来,对他吆喝道.
那犯人缩紧身一子,慌忙躲开.副典狱长就转身对玛丝洛娃骂道:
"你待在这儿干什么?"
玛丝洛娃想说她从法院里刚回来,但她实在太疲乏了,所以懒得开口.
"刚从法院里来,长官,"那个年纪大些的押解兵穿过人群,手举到帽沿上敬礼说.
"噢,那就把她一交一给看守长.简直不象话!"
"是,长官."
"索柯洛夫!把她带去,"副典狱长嚷道.
看守长走过来,怒气冲冲地往玛丝洛娃的肩上一推,对她点点头,把她领到女监的走廊里.在那里她被浑身上下搜摸了一遍,没有搜到什么(那包香烟已被塞在面包里),就又被送回早晨出来的那间牢房里.
