“Yes, but did the prisoner notice,” again asked the prosecutor, “how much money there was when she was getting out the 40 roubles?”

Maslova shuddered when the prosecutor addressed her; she did not know why it was, but she felt that he wished her evil.

“I did not count it, but only saw some 100-rouble notes.”

“Ah!  The prisoner saw 100-rouble notes.  That’s all?”

“Well, so you brought back the money,” continued the president, looking at the clock.

“I did.”

“Well, and then?”

“Then he took me back with him,” said Maslova.

“Well, and how did you give him the powder?  In his drink?”

“How did I give it?  I put them in and gave it him.”

“Why did you give it him?”

She did not answer, but sighed deeply and heavily.

“He would not let me go,” she said, after a moment’s silence, “and I was quite tired out, and so I went out into the passage and said to Simeon, ‘If he would only let me go, I am so tired.’  And he said, ’We are also sick of him; we were thinking of giving him a sleeping draught; he will fall asleep, and then you can go.’  So I said all right.  I thought they were harmless, and he gave me the packet.  I went in.  He was lying behind the partition, and at once called for brandy.  I took a bottle of ’fine champagne’ from the table, poured out two glasses, one for him and one for myself, and put the powders into his glass, and gave it him.  Had I known how could I have given them to him?”

“Well, and how did the ring come into your possession?” asked the president.  “When did he give it you?”

“That was when we came back to his lodgings.  I wanted to go away, and he gave me a knock on the head and broke my comb.  I got angry and said I’d go away, and he took the ring off his finger and gave it to me so that I should not go,” she said.

Then the public prosecutor again slightly raised himself, and, putting on an air of simplicity, asked permission to put a few more questions, and, having received it, bending his head over his embroidered collar, he said:  “I should like to know how long the prisoner remained in the merchant Smelkoff’s room.”

Maslova again seemed frightened, and she again looked anxiously from the public prosecutor to the president, and said hurriedly: 

“I do not remember how long.”

“Yes, but does the prisoner remember if she went anywhere else in the lodging-house after she left Smelkoff?”

Maslova considered for a moment.  “Yes, I did go into an empty room next to his.”

“Yes, and why did you go in?” asked the public prosecutor, forgetting himself, and addressing her directly.

“I went in to rest a bit, and to wait for an isvostchik.”

“And was Kartinkin in the room with the prisoner, or not?”

“He came in.”

“Why did he come in?”

“There was some of the merchant’s brandy left, and we finished it together.”