Book 2 Chapter 18 Officialdom

Hardly had Nekhludoff finished dressing the next morning, just as
he was about to go down, the footman brought him a card from the
Moscow advocate. The advocate had come to St. Petersburg on
business of his own, and was going to be present when Maslova's
case was examined in the Senate, if that would be soon. The
telegram sent by Nekhludoff crossed him on the way. Having found
out from Nekhludoff when the case was going to be heard, and
which senators were to be present, he smiled. "Exactly, all the
three types of senators," he said. "Wolf is a Petersburg
official; Skovorodnikoff is a theoretical, and Bay a practical
lawyer, and therefore the most alive of them all," said the
advocate. "There is most hope of him. Well, and how about the
Petition Committee?"

"Oh, I'm going to Baron Vorobioff to-day. I could not get an
audience with him yesterday."

"Do you know why he is _Baron_ Vorobioff?" said the advocate,
noticing the slightly ironical stress that Nekhludoff put on this
foreign title, followed by so very Russian a surname.

"That was because the Emperor Paul rewarded the grandfather--I
think he was one of the Court footmen--by giving him this title.
He managed to please him in some way, so he made him a baron.
'It's my wish, so don't gainsay me!' And so there's a _Baron_
Vorobioff, and very proud of the title. He is a dreadful old
humbug."

"Well, I'm going to see him," said Nekhludoff.

"That's good; we can go together. I shall give you a lift."