Book 1 Chapter 50 The Vice-Governor of the Prison

Awaking early the next morning, Nekhludoff remembered what he had
done the day before, and was seized with fear.

But in spite of this fear, he was more determined than ever to
continue what he had begun.

Conscious of a sense of duty, he left the house and went to see
Maslennikoff in order to obtain from him a permission to visit
Maslova in prison, and also the Menshoffs--mother and son--about
whom Maslova had spoken to him. Nekhludoff had known this
Maslennikoff a long time; they had been in the regiment together.
At that time Maslennikoff was treasurer to the regiment.

He was a kind-hearted and zealous officer, knowing and wishing to
know nothing beyond the regiment and the Imperial family. Now
Nekhludoff saw him as an administrator, who had exchanged the
regiment for an administrative office in the government where he
lived. He was married to a rich and energetic woman, who had
forced him to exchange military for civil service. She laughed at
him, and caressed him, as if he were her own pet animal.
Nekhludoff had been to see them once during the winter, but the
couple were so uninteresting to him that he had not gone again.

At the sight of Nekhludoff Maslennikoff's face beamed all over.
He had the same fat red face, and was as corpulent and as well
dressed as in his military days. Then, he used to be always
dressed in a well-brushed uniform, made according to the latest
fashion, tightly fitting his chest and shoulders; now, it was a
civil service uniform he wore, and that, too, tightly fitted his
well-fed body and showed off his broad chest, and was cut
according to the latest fashion. In spite of the difference in
age (Maslennikoff was 40), the two men were very familiar with
one another.