The city mayor sat with crossed legs, and beat a noiseless tattoo
on his knee, giving the play of his fingers concentrated attention.
The only one who listened to the monotonous murmur of the voices
seemed to be the district elder, who sat with inclined head,
supporting his abdomen on his knees and solicitously holding it up
with his hands. The old judge, deep in his armchair, stuck there
immovably. The proceedings continued to drag on in this way for a
long, long time; and ennui again numbed the people with its heavy,
sticky embrace.
The mother saw that this large hall was not yet pervaded by that
cold, threatening justice which sternly uncovers the soul, examines
it, and seeing everything estimates its value with incorruptible
eyes, weighing it rigorously with honest hands. Here was nothing to
frighten her by its power or majesty.
"I declare--" said the old judge clearly, and arose as he crushed
the following words with his thin lips.
The noise of sighs and low exclamations, of coughing and scraping
of feet, filled the hall as the court retired for a recess. The
prisoners were led away. As they walked out, they nodded their
heads to their relatives and familiars with a smile, and Ivan Gusev
shouted to somebody in a modulated voice:
"Don't lose courage, Yegor.
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