Book 1 Chapter 55 Vera Doukhova Explains

The business that Vera Doukhova wanted to see Nekhludoff about
was the following: A friend of hers, who had not even belonged to
their "sub-group," as she expressed it, had been arrested with
her about five months before, and imprisoned in the
Petropavlovsky fortress because some prohibited books and papers
(which she had been asked to keep) had been found in her
possession. Vera Doukhova felt herself in some measure to blame
for her friend's arrest, and implored Nekhludoff, who had
connections among influential people, to do all he could in order
to set this friend free.

Besides this, Doukhova asked him to try and get permission for
another friend of hers, Gourkevitch (who was also imprisoned in
the Petropavlovsky fortress), to see his parents, and to procure
some scientific books which he required for his studies.
Nekhludoff promised to do what he could when he went to
Petersburg.

As to her own story, this is what she said: Having finished a
course of midwifery, she became connected with a group of
adherents to the Nardovolstvo, and made up her mind to agitate in
the revolutionary movement. At first all went on smoothly. She
wrote proclamations and occupied herself with propaganda work in
the factories; then, an important member having been arrested,
their papers were seized and all concerned were arrested. "I was
also arrested, and shall be exiled. But what does it matter? I
feel perfectly happy." She concluded her story with a piteous
smile.

Nekhludoff made some inquiries concerning the girl with the
prominent eyes. Vera Doukhova told him that this girl was the
daughter of a general, and had been long attached to the
revolutionary party, and was arrested because she had pleaded
guilty to having shot a gendarme. She lived in a house with some
conspirators, where they had a secret printing press. One night,
when the police came to search this house, the occupiers resolved
to defend themselves, put out the light, and began destroying the
things that might incriminate them. The police forced their way
in, and one of the conspirators fired, and mortally wounded a
gendarme. When an inquiry was instituted, this girl said that it
was she who had fired, although she had never had a revolver in
her hands, and would not have hurt a fly. And she kept to it, and
was now condemned to penal servitude in Siberia.