Romashov allowed a few minutes to elapse, after which he turned round and glanced through the window.
Nikolaiev had gone.
“Your Honour!” the orderly suddenly stood, as if he had risen from the earth, at Romashov’s side. “I am ordered to ask you to walk in.”
Along one side of the wall were placed several card tables, over which a green cloth had been spread.
Behind these tables sat the members of the court, with their backs to the window. In consequence of this, it was difficult to distinguish their faces.
In the midst of them, in an arm-chair, was seated Lieutenant-Colonel Migunov, the president—a fat, pursy man without a neck, but with big, round shoulders which protruded in quite an unnatural manner. On each side of Migunov sat Lieutenant-Colonels Rafalski and Liech, and moreover, on the right, Osadchi and Peterson; on the left, Captain Duvernois and the commissary to the regiment, Staff-Captain Doroshenko.
The table in front of all these gentlemen was virtually empty, except that before Doroshenko, the court prosecutor-in-ordinary, lay a heap of papers.
It was cold and dark in the great, bare room, although out-of-doors the sunshine was gloriously warm.
Everywhere the nose was assailed by a drowsy smell of mustiness and rotting, moth-eaten furniture.
The president laid his big, white, fat hands on the tablecloth, examined them minutely, and then began in a dry, official tone—
“Sub-lieutenant Romashov, the Officers’ Court of Honour, which meets to-day by order of the commander of the regiment, is directed to examine closely into the circumstances of the deplorable and, to the officers as a body, disgraceful scene that took place between you and Lieutenant Nikolaiev last night, and it is incumbent on you to render to us a most punctilious account of what you have to say with regard to this painful affair.”
Romashov stood before his judges with his arms hanging down, and plucked at the fur lining of his cap.
He felt like a hunted animal, but at the same time as clumsy, feeble, and indifferent to everything as a schoolboy just “ploughed” at an examination is to his teachers’ threats and his school-fellows’ jeers.
Coughing and stammering, in unconnected phrases and with contradictions and repetitions, Romashov began his report.
At the same time, and whilst slowly observing the high “tribunal” seated before him, he made a sort of appraisement of the private or personal feelings of its individual members towards him.
“Migunov has a heart of stone, and it is a matter of supreme indifference to him how the affair turns out; but the place of honour as president and the great responsibility attached to it are, in the highest degree, flattering to his vanity.
Lieutenant-Colonel ‘Brehm’ is looking miserable. Oh, you good old chap, perhaps you are sitting thinking of that ten-rouble note which was never returned to you?
Old Liech looks glum.
He’s sober to-day in honour of the occasion, but the pouches under his eyes are bigger than usual.
He’s not my enemy, but has so many sins of his own to answer that he must take advantage of the occasion, and play the part of guardian and protector of morality and the ‘honour of an officer.’
So far as Osadchi and Peterson are concerned, they are both notoriously my enemies.
By invoking the law, I might certainly challenge Osadchi—the whole of the row began through his blasphemously parodying the Mass for the Dead—but what then? The result in any case will be the same.
Peterson smiles out of one corner of his mouth in his usual snake-like way.
I am just wondering what share he had in those anonymous letters.
Duvernois—a sleepy beast, whose great, troubled eyes put one in mind of a cuttlefish’s.
Ah, yes, I’ve never been one of Duvernois’s favourites, and just as little of Doroshenko’s.
Yuri Alexievich, my dear boy, the prospect does indeed look gloomy for you.”
“One instant, if you please,” interrupted Osadchi.
“President, will you permit me to put a question?”
“Certainly,” replied Migunov, with a gracious nod.
“Tell me, Sub-lieutenant Romashov,” began Osadchi, in an affectedly imposing and drawling tone, “where were you before you came to the mess in such an inexcusable condition?”
Romashov blushed deeply, and felt big drops of sweat on his forehead.
“I was—I was,” he stammered, “I was in a brothel,” he added almost in a whisper.
“Ha, ha—in a brothel,” repeated Osadchi, as he purposely raised his voice and pronounced every word with unsparing distinctness.
“And no doubt you had drinks there.”
“Yes, I had been drinking,” answered Romashov, in an abrupt tone.
“I have no wish to put any more questions,” said Osadchi, turning with a bow to the president.
“Sub-lieutenant, be good enough to continue your report,” resumed Migunov,
“You remember you have acknowledged that you threw the glass of ale at Nikolaiev—well?”
Romashov began his story again as unmethodically and unconnectedly as before, but honourably endeavouring not to give any details.
He had already, in an indirect way and with much shame, succeeded in expressing the regret he felt at his unworthy conduct, when he was once more interrupted, this time by Captain Peterson.
The latter was rubbing his long, yellow-wax coloured hands with their sharp, dirty finger-nails just as if he were washing himself, and said in his studiously polite—nay, almost friendly—thin, wheedling voice—
“Ah, all that is quite fit and proper, and such a voluntary confession, in a way, does you credit; but tell me, were you not, before this painful story began, in the habit of visiting Lieutenant Nikolaiev’s house?”
Romashov drew himself up and, looking straight, not at Captain Peterson, but at Migunov, replied bluntly:
“That is true, but I cannot understand what that has to do with the matter.”
“Pray don’t get excited,” exclaimed Peterson. “I only want you to answer my questions.
Tell me then, was there any special cause of mutual enmity between you and Lieutenant Nikolaiev? I do not mean any difference in the service, but a cause of a quite—er—if I may so put it, domestic nature?”
Romashov pulled himself up to his full height, and his glance pierced with undisguised hatred his enemy’s treacherous, black, consumptive eyes.
“I have not visited Lieutenant Nikolaiev’s home more frequently than those of my other acquaintances,” he replied in a hard and cutting tone.
“No previous enmity has existed between us.