She's got what he has； only as he is sick he may be left behind；
and of course what can be done to lighten his fate shall be done。
But as for her； even if she did marry him； she could not remain
behind。〃
〃The Generaless is having her coffee；〃 the footman announced。
The General nodded and continued：
〃However； I shall think about it。 What are their names？ Put them
down here。〃
Nekhludoff wrote down the names。
Nekhludoff's request to be allowed to see the dying man the
General answered by saying； 〃Neither can I do that。 Of course I
do not suspect you； but you take an interest in him and in the
others； and you have money； and here with us anything can be done
with money。 I have been told to put down bribery。 But how can I
put down bribery when everybody takes bribes？ And the lower their
rank the more ready they are to be bribed。 How can one find it
out across more than three thousand miles？ There any official is
a little Tsar； just as I am here；〃 and he laughed。 〃You have in
all likelihood been to see the political prisoners； you gave
money and got permission to see them；〃 he said； with a smile。
〃Is it not so？
〃Yes； it is。〃
〃I quite understand that you had to do it。 You pity a political
prisoner and wish to see him。 And the inspector or the convoy
soldier accepts； because he has a salary of twice twenty copecks
and a family； and he can't help accepting it。 In his place and
yours I should have acted in the same way as you and he did。 But
in my position I do not permit myself to swerve an inch from the
letter of the law； just because I am a man； and might be
influenced by pity。 But I am a member of the executive； and I
have been placed in a position of trust on certain conditions；
and these conditions I must carry out。 Well； so this business is
finished。 And now let us hear what is going on in the
metropolis。〃 And the General began questioning with the evident
desire to hear the news and to show how very human he was。
CHAPTER XXIII。
THE SENTENCE COMMUTED。
〃By…the…way； where are you staying？〃 asked the General as he was
taking leave of Nekhludoff。 〃At Duke's？ Well； it's horrid enough
there。 Come and dine with us at five o'clock。 You speak English？
〃Yes； I do。〃
〃That's good。 You see； an English traveller has just arrived
here。 He is studying the question of transportation and examining
the prisons of Siberia。 Well； he is dining with us to…night； and
you come and meet him。 We dine at five； and my wife expects
punctuality。 Then I shall also give you an answer what to do
about that woman； and perhaps it may be possible to leave some
one behind with the sick prisoner。〃
Having made his bow to the General； Nekhludoff drove to the
post…office； feeling himself in an extremely animated and
energetic frame of mind。
The post…office was a low…vaulted room。 Several officials sat
behind a counter serving the people； of whom there was quite a
crowd。 One official sat with his head bent to one side and kept
stamping the envelopes； which he slipped dexterously under the
stamp。 Nekhludoff had not long to wait。 As soon as he had given
his name； everything that had come for him by post was at once
handed to him。 There was a good deal： letters； and money； and
books； and the last number of Fatherland Notes。 Nekhludoff took
all these things to a wooden bench； on which a soldier with a
book in his hand sat waiting for something； took the seat by his
side； and began sorting the letters。 Among them was one
registered letter in a fine envelope； with a distinctly stamped
bright red seal。 He broke the seal； and seeing a letter from
Selenin and some official paper inside the envelope； he felt the
blood rush to his face； and his heart stood still。 It was the
answer to Katusha's petition。 What would that answer be？
Nekhludoff glanced hurriedly through the letter； written in an
illegibly small； hard； and cramped hand； and breathed a sigh of
relief。 The answer was a favourable one。
〃Dear friend；〃 wrote Selenin； 〃our last talk has made a profound
impression on me。 You were right concerning Maslova。 I looked
carefully through the case； and see that shocking injustice has
been done her。 It could he remedied only by the Committee of
Petitions before which you laid it。 I managed to assist at the
examination of the case； and I enclose herewith the copy of the
mitigation of the sentence。 Your aunt； the Countess Katerina
Ivanovna； gave me the address which I am sending this to。 The
original document has been sent to the place where she was
imprisoned before her trial； and will from there he probably sent
at once to the principal Government office in Siberia。 I hasten
to communicate this glad news to you and warmly press your hand。
〃Yours；
〃SELENIN。〃
The document ran thus： 〃His Majesty's office for the reception of
petitions； addressed to his Imperial name〃here followed the
date〃by order of the chief of his Majesty's office for the
reception of petitions addressed to his Imperial name。 The
meschanka Katerina Maslova is hereby informed that his Imperial
Majesty； with reference to her most loyal petition； condescending
to her request； deigns to order that her sentence to hard labour
should be commuted to one of exile to the less distant districts
of Siberia…〃
This was joyful and important news； all that Nekhludoff could
have hoped for Katusha； and for himself also； had happened。 It
was true that the new position she was in brought new
complications with it。 While she was a convict； marriage with her
could only be fictitious； and would have had no meaning except
that he would have been in a position to alleviate her condition。
And now there was nothing to prevent their living together； and
Nekhludoff had not prepared himself for that。 And； besides； what
of her relations to Simonson？ What was the meaning of her words
yesterday？ If she consented to a union with Simonson； would it be
well？ He could not unravel all these questions； and gave up
thinking about it。 〃It will all clear itself up later on；〃 he
thought； 〃I must not think about it now； but convey the glad news
to her as soon as possible； and set her free。 He thought that the
copy of the document he had received would suffice； so when he
left the post…office he told the isvostchik to drive him to the
prison。
Though he had received no order from the governor to visit the
prison that morning； he knew by experience that it was easy to
get from the subordinates what the higher officials would not
grant； so now he meant to try and get into the prison to bring
Katusha the joyful news； and perhaps to get her set free； and at
the same time to inquire about Kryltzoff's state of health； and
tell him and Mary Pavlovna what the general had said。 The prison
inspector was a tall； imposing…looking man； with moustaches and
whiskers that twisted towards the corners of his mouth。 He
received Nekhludoff very gravely； and told him plainly that he
could not grant an outsider the permission to interview the
prisoners without a special order from his chief。 To Nekhludoff's
remark that he had been allowed to visit the prisoners even in
the cities he answered：
〃That may be so； but I do not allow it；〃 and his tone implied；
〃You city gentlemen may think to surprise and perplex us； but we
in Eastern Siberia also know what the law is； and may even teach
it you。〃 The copy of a document straight from the Emperor's own
office did not have any effect on the prison inspector either。 He
decidedly refused to let Nekhludoff come inside the prison walls。
He only smiled contemptuously at Nekhludoff's naive conclusion；
that the copy he had received would suffice to set Maslova free；
and declared that a direct order from his own superiors would be
needed before any one could be set at liberty。 The only things he
agreed to do were to communicate to Maslova that a mitigation had
arrived for her； and to promise that he would not detain her an
hour after the order from his chief to liberate her would arrive。
He would also give no news of Kryltzoff； saying he could not even
tell if there was such a prisoner； and so Nekhludoff； having
accomplished next to nothing； got into his trap and drove back to
his hotel。
The strictness of the inspector was chiefly due to the fact that
an epidemic of typhus had broken out in the prison； owing to
twice the number of persons that it was intended for being
crowded in it。 The isvostchik who drove Nekhludoff said； 〃Quite a
lot of people are dying in the prison every day； some kind of
disease having sprung up among them； so that as many as twenty
were buried in one day。〃
CHAPTER XXIV。
THE GENERAL'S HOUSEHOLD。
In spite of his ineffectual attempt at the prison； Nekhludoff；
still in the same vigorous； energetic frame of mind； went to the
Governor's office to see if the original of the document had
arrived for Maslova。 It had not arrived； so Nekhludoff went back
to the hotel and wrote without delay to Selenin and the advocate
about it。 When he had finished writing he looked at his watch and
saw it was time to go to the General's dinner party。
On the way he again began wondering how Katusha would receive the
news of the mitigation of her sentence。 Where she would be
settled？ How he should live with her？ What about Simonson？ What
would his relations to her be？ He remembered the change that had
taken place in her； and this reminded him of her past。 〃I must
forget it for the present；〃 he thought； and again hastened to
drive her out of his mind。 〃When the time comes I shall see；〃 he
said to himself； and began to think of what he ought to say to
the General。
The dinner at the General's； with the luxury habitual to the
lives of the wealthy and those of high rank； to which Nekhludoff
had been accustomed； was extremely enjoyable after he had been so
long deprived not only of luxury but even of the most ordinary
comforts。 The mistress of the house was a Petersburg grande dame
of the old school； a maid of honour at the court of Nicholas I。；
who spoke French quite naturally and Russian very unnaturally。
She held herself very erect and； moving her hands； she kept her
elbows close to her waist。 She was q