Chapter 5

           Thewaiting-roomofthecelebratedPetersburglawyerwasfullwhenAlexeyAlexandrovitchenteredit.Threeladies—anoldlady,ayounglady,andamerchant’swife—andthreegentlemen—oneaGermanbankerwitharingonhisfinger,thesecondamerchantwithabeard,andthethirdawrathful-lookinggovernmentclerkinofficialuniform,withacrossonhisneck—hadobviouslybeenwaitingalongwhilealready.Twoclerkswerewritingattableswithscratchingpens.Theappurtenancesofthewriting-tables,aboutwhichAlexeyAlexandrovitchwashimselfveryfastidious,wereexceptionallygood.Hecouldnothelpobservingthis.Oneoftheclerks,withoutgettingup,turnedwrathfullytoAlexeyAlexandrovitch,halfclosinghiseyes.“Whatareyouwanting?”

           Herepliedthathehadtoseethelawyeronsomebusiness.

           “Heisengaged,”theclerkrespondedseverely,andhepointedwithhispenatthepersonswaiting,andwentonwriting.

           “Can’thesparetimetoseeme?”saidAlexeyAlexandrovitch.

           “Hehasnotimefree;heisalwaysbusy.Kindlywaityourturn.”

           “ThenImusttroubleyoutogivehimmycard,”AlexeyAlexandrovitchsaidwithdignity,seeingtheimpossibilityofpreservinghisincognito.

           Theclerktookthecardand,obviouslynotapprovingofwhathereadonit,wenttothedoor.

           AlexeyAlexandrovitchwasinprincipleinfavorofthepublicityoflegalproceedings,thoughforsomehigherofficialconsiderationshedislikedtheapplicationoftheprincipleinRussia,anddisapprovedofit,asfarashecoulddisapproveofanythinginstitutedbyauthorityoftheEmperor.