The waiting-room of the celebrated Petersburg lawyer was full

when Alexey Alexandrovitch entered it. Three ladies--an old

lady, a young lady, and a merchant's wife--and three gentlemen--

one a German banker with a ring on his finger, the second a

merchant with a beard, and the third a wrathful-looking

government clerk in official uniform, with a cross on his neck--

had obviously been waiting a long while already. Two clerks were

writing at tables with scratching pens. The appurtenances of the

writing-tables, about which Alexey Alexandrovitch was himself

very fastidious, were exceptionally good. He could not help

Advertisement..

observing this. One of the clerks, without getting up, turned

wrathfully to Alexey Alexandrovitch, half closing his eyes.

"What are you wanting?"

He replied that he had to see the lawyer on some business.

"He is engaged," the clerk responded severely, and he pointed

with his pen at the persons waiting, and went on writing.

"Can't he spare time to see me?" said Alexey Alexandrovitch.

"He has no time free; he is always busy. Kindly wait your

turn."

"Then I must trouble you to give him my card," Alexey

Alexandrovitch said with dignity, seeing the impossibility of

preserving his incognito.

The clerk took the card and, obviously not approving of what he

read on it, went to the door.

Alexey Alexandrovitch was in principle in favor of the publicity

of legal proceedings, though for some higher official

considerations he disliked the application of the principle in

Russia, and disapproved of it, as far as he could disapprove of

anything instituted by authority of the Emperor. His whole life

had been spent in administrative work, and consequently, when he

did not approve of anything, his disapproval was softened by the

recognition of the inevitability of mistakes and the possibility

of reform in every department. In the new public law courts he

disliked the restrictions laid on the lawyers conducting cases.

But till then he had had nothing to do with the law courts, and

so had disapproved of their publicity simply in theory; now his

disapprobation was strengthened by the unpleasant impression made

on him in the lawyer's waiting room.

"Coming immediately," said the clerk; and two minutes later there

did actually appear in the doorway the large figure of an old

solicitor who had been consulting with the lawyer himself.

The lawyer was a little, squat, bald man, with a dark, reddish

beard, light-colored long eyebrows, and an overhanging brow. He

was attired as though for a wedding, from his cravat to his

double watch-chain and varnished boots. His face was clever and

manly, but his dress was dandified and in bad taste.




Most Popular