Book 3 Chapter 18 Neveroffs Fate

When, following Katusha, Nekhludoff returned to the men's room,
he found every one there in agitation. Nabatoff, who went about
all over the place, and who got to know everybody, and noticed
everything, had just brought news which staggered them all. The
news was that he had discovered a note on a wall, written by the
revolutionist Petlin, who had been sentenced to hard labour, and
who, every one thought, had long since reached the Kara; and now
it turned out that he had passed this way quite recently, the
only political prisoner among criminal convicts.

"On the 17th of August," so ran the note, "I was sent off alone
with the criminals. Neveroff was with me, but hanged himself in
the lunatic asylum in Kasan. I am well and in good spirits and
hope for the best."

All were discussing Petlin's position and the possible reasons of
Neveroff's suicide. Only Kryltzoff sat silent and preoccupied,
his glistening eyes gazing fixedly in front of him.

"My husband told me that Neveroff had a vision while still in the
Petropavlovski prison," said Rintzeva.

"Yes, he was a poet, a dreamer; this sort of people cannot stand
solitary confinement," said Novodvoroff. "Now, I never gave my
imagination vent when in solitary confinement, but arranged my
days most systematically, and in this way always bore it very
well."

"What is there unbearable about it? Why, I used to be glad when
they locked me up," said Nabatoff cheerfully, wishing to dispel
the general depression.