Book 3 Chapter 25 Maslovas Decision

The dismal prison house, with its sentinel and lamp burning under
the gateway, produced an even more dismal impression, with its
long row of lighted windows, than it had done in the morning, in
spite of the white covering that now lay over everything--the
porch, the roof and the walls.

The imposing inspector came up to the gate and read the pass that
had been given to Nekhludoff and the Englishman by the light of
the lamp, shrugged his fine shoulders in surprise, but, in
obedience to the order, asked the visitors to follow him in. He
led them through the courtyard and then in at a door to the right
and up a staircase into the office. He offered them a seat and
asked what he could do for them, and when he heard that
Nekhludoff would like to see Maslova at once, he sent a jailer to
fetch her. Then he prepared himself to answer the questions which
the Englishman began to put to him, Nekhludoff acting as
interpreter.

"How many persons is the prison built to hold?" the Englishman
asked. "How many are confined in it? How many men? How many
women? Children? How many sentenced to the mines? How many
exiles? How many sick persons?"

Nekhludoff translated the Englishman's and the inspector's words
without paying any attention to their meaning, and felt an
awkwardness he had not in the least expected at the thought of
the impending interview. When, in the midst of a sentence he was
translating for the Englishman, he heard the sound of approaching
footsteps, and the office door opened, and, as had happened many
times before, a jailer came in, followed by Katusha, and he saw
her with a kerchief tied round her head, and in a prison jacket a
heavy sensation came over him. "I wish to live, I want a family,
children, I want a human life." These thoughts flashed through
his mind as she entered the room with rapid steps and blinking
her eyes.