The lawyer received him immediately on his arrival, although it was
not his turn. The lawyer expressed himself strongly on the detention
of the Menshovs, declaring that there was not a particle of evidence
against them on record.

"If the case is tried here, and not in the district, I will stake
anything on their discharge. And the petition in behalf of Theodosia
Brinkova is ready. You had better take it with you to St. Petersburg
and present it there. Otherwise there will begin an inquiry which will
have no end. Try to reach some people who have influence with the
commission on petitions. Well, that's all, isn't it?"

"No. Here they write me----"

"You seem to be the funnel into which all the prison complaints are
poured. I fear you will not hold them all."

"But this case is simply shocking," said Nekhludoff, and related the
substance of it.

"What is it that surprises you?"

"Everything. I can understand the orderly who acted under orders, but
the assistant prosecutor who drew the indictment is an educated man----"

"That is the mistake. We are used to think that the prosecuting
officers--the court officers generally--are a kind of new, liberal
men. And so they were at one time, but not now. The only thing that
concerns these officers is to draw their salaries on the 20th of every