While Nekhludoff was talking to the student the large iron gate of the prison opened and a uniformed officer with another warden came out.  The one with the booklet in his hand announced that the prison was open for visitors.  The guard stood aside, and all the visitors, as if fearing to be late, with quick step, and some even running, pressed toward the prison gate.  One of the wardens stationed himself at the gate, and in a loud voice counted the passing visitors—­16, 17, 18, etc.  The other warden, within the gate, touching each with his hand, also counted the visitors as they entered another door.  This was to make sure that at their departure no visitor remained in prison, and no prisoner made his way out.  The tallying officer, without regard to the person of the visitor, slapped Nekhludoff on the back.  This at first offended the latter, but he immediately remembered his mission, and he became ashamed that his feelings should be thus wounded.

The second door opened into a large, vaulted room with small iron-grated windows.  In this room, which was called the meeting-room, Nekhludoff saw in a niche a large image of the Crucifixion.

Nekhludoff went on slowly, letting the hurrying visitors pass before, and experienced a mingled feeling of horror at the malefactors imprisoned in this jail, compassion for those innocent people who, like the boy and Katiousha, must be here, and timidity and tenderness before the meeting that was before him.  When he reached the end of the room the warden said something, but Nekhludoff, who was absorbed in his thoughts, paid no attention to it, and followed in the direction led by the crowd, that is, to the men’s ward instead of the women’s.

Letting the hurrying visitors pass, he walked into the next room designated for interviews.  On opening the door he was struck by the deafening shouts of a hundred throats turned into a continuous humming noise.  Only as he neared the people, who, like flies swarming on sugar pressed their faces against a net which divided the room in two, did Nekhludoff understand the cause of the noise.  This room with windows in the rear wall was divided in two not by one, but by two wire nets which stretched from the ceiling to the floor.  Two wardens walked between the nets.  The prisoners were on the other side of the nets, between which there was a space of about seven feet for visitors, so that not only was it difficult to converse with them but a short-sighted man could not even see the face of the prisoner he was visiting.  In order to be heard, it was necessary to shout at the top of one’s voice.  On both sides, pressing against the nets, were the faces of wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, children, who endeavored to see and speak to each other.  But as every one tried to speak so that he could be heard by the person spoken to, and his neighbor did the same, their voices interfered with each other, and each tried to outcry the other.  The result was the noise which astonished