“You will say all this afterwards,” the president again said, quietly and firmly.  “So you do not plead guilty?”

“I did not take the money nor give the drink, nor go into the room.  Had I gone in I should have kicked her out.”

“So you do not plead guilty?”

“Never.”

“Very well.”

“Katerina Maslova,” the president began, turning to the third prisoner, “you are accused of having come from the brothel with the key of the merchant Smelkoff’s portmanteau, money, and a ring.”  He said all this like a lesson learned by heart, leaning towards the member on his left, who was whispering into his car that a bottle mentioned in the list of the material evidence was missing.  “Of having stolen out of the portmanteau money and a ring,” he repeated, “and shared it.  Then, returning to the lodging house Mauritania with Smelkoff, of giving him poison in his drink, and thereby causing his death.  Do you plead guilty?”

“I am not guilty of anything,” she began rapidly.  “As I said before I say again, I did not take it—­I did not take it; I did not take anything, and the ring he gave me himself.”

“You do not plead guilty of having stolen 2,500 roubles?” asked the president.

“I’ve said I took nothing but the 40 roubles.”

“Well, and do you plead guilty of having given the merchant Smelkoff a powder in his drink?”

“Yes, that I did.  Only I believed what they told me, that they were sleeping powders, and that no harm could come of them.  I never thought, and never wished. . .  God is my witness; I say, I never meant this,” she said.

“So you do not plead guilty of having stolen the money and the ring from the merchant Smelkoff, but confess that you gave him the powder?” said the president.

“Well, yes, I do confess this, but I thought they were sleeping powders.  I only gave them to make him sleep; I never meant and never thought of worse.”

“Very well,” said the president, evidently satisfied with the results gained.  “Now tell us how it all happened,” and he leaned back in his chair and put his folded hands on the table.  “Tell us all about it.  A free and full confession will be to your advantage.”

Maslova continued to look at the president in silence, and blushing.

“Tell us how it happened.”

“How it happened?” Maslova suddenly began, speaking quickly.  “I came to the lodging-house, and was shown into the room.  He was there, already very drunk.”  She pronounced the word he with a look of horror in her wide-open eyes.  “I wished to go away, but he would not let me.”  She stopped, as if having lost the thread, or remembered some thing else.

“Well, and then?”

“Well, what then?  I remained a bit, and went home again.”

At this moment the public prosecutor raised himself a little, leaning on one elbow in an awkward manner.

“You would like to put a question?” said the president, and having received an answer in the affirmative, he made a gesture inviting the public prosecutor to speak.