"She was tried yesterday and sentenced to four years' penal servitude.
The conviction was irregular; she is innocent."

"I see. If she has only been sentenced yesterday," said the prosecutor
without paying attention to Nekhludoff's declaration about her
innocence, "then she will be detained until final judgment in the
place where she is now. The jail is open to visitors on certain days
only. I advise you to apply there."

"But I must see her as soon as possible," with trembling lower jaw
Nekhludoff said, feeling that a critical moment was approaching.

"Why are you so anxious about seeing her?" the prosecutor asked,
raising his eyebrows with some alarm.

"Because she is innocent of the crime for which she was sentenced to
penal servitude. The guilt is mine, not hers," Nekhludoff said in a
trembling voice, feeling that he was saying what he should not.

"How so?" asked the prosecutor.

"I deceived her, and brought her to the condition in which she is now.
If I had not driven her to the position in which she was, she would
not have been charged here with such a crime."

"Still I fail to see what all this has to do with visiting her."

"It has, because I want to follow her and--marry her," said
Nekhludoff. And, as it usually happened when he spoke of this, his