Book 2 Chapter 21 The Appeal Dismissed

When Wolf concluded his arguments Bay stopped drawing his garland
and began in a sad and gentle voice (he was sad because he was
obliged to demonstrate such truisms) concisely, simply and
convincingly to show how unfounded the accusation was, and then,
bending his white head, he continued drawing his garland.

Skovorodnikoff, who sat opposite Wolf, and, with his fat fingers,
kept shoving his beard and moustaches into his mouth, stopped
chewing his beard as soon as Bay was silent, and said with a
loud, grating voice, that, notwithstanding the fact of the
director being a terrible scoundrel, he would have been for the
repeal of the sentence if there were any legal reasons for it;
but, as there were none, he was of Bay's opinion. He was glad to
put this spoke in Wolf's wheel.

The chairman agreed with Skovorodnikoff, and the appeal was
rejected.

Wolf was dissatisfied, especially because it was like being
caught acting with dishonest partiality; so he pretended to be
indifferent, and, unfolding the document which contained
Maslova's case, he became engrossed in it. Meanwhile the Senators
rang and ordered tea, and began talking about the event that,
together with the duel, was occupying the Petersburgers.

It was the case of the chief of a Government department, who was
accused of the crime provided for in Statute 995.

"What nastiness," said Bay, with disgust.

"Why; where is the harm of it? I can show you a Russian book
containing the project of a German writer, who openly proposes
that it should not be considered a crime," said Skovorodnikoff,
drawing in greedily the fumes of the crumpled cigarette, which he
held between his fingers close to the palm, and he laughed
boisterously.