Book 1 Chapter 58 The Vice-Governor Suspicious

"Well? _Je suis a vous_. Will you smoke? But wait a bit; we must be
careful and not make a mess here," said Maslennikoff, and brought
an ashpan. "Well?"

"There are two matters I wish to ask you about."

"Dear me!"

An expression of gloom and dejection came over Maslennikoff's
countenance, and every trace of the excitement, like that of the
dog's whom its master has scratched behind the cars, vanished
completely. The sound of voices reached them from the drawing-
room. A woman's voice was heard, saying, _"Jamais je ne croirais,"_
and a man's voice from the other side relating something in which
the names of la Comtesse Voronzoff and Victor Apraksine kept
recurring. A hum of voices, mixed with laughter, came from
another side. Maslennikoff tried to listen to what was going on
in the drawing-room and to what Nekhludoff was saying at the same
time.

"I am again come about that same woman," said Nekhludoff.

"Oh, yes; I know. The one innocently condemned."

"I would like to ask that she should be appointed to serve in the
prison hospital. I have been told that this could be arranged."

Maslennikoff compressed his lips and meditated. "That will be
scarcely possible," he said. "However, I shall see what can be
done, and shall wire you an answer tomorrow."

"I have been told that there were many sick, and help was
needed."

"All right, all right. I shall let you know in any case."

"Please do," said Nekhludoff.

The sound of a general and even a natural laugh came from the
drawing-room.