第159章

And on receiving an assenting nod from Alexei Alexandrovich, he went on, stealing a glance now and then at Alexei Alexandrovich's face, which was growing red in patches.

`Divorce by our laws,' he said, with a slight shade of disapprobation of our laws, `is possible, as you are aware, in the following cases...

To wait!' he called to a clerk who put his head in at the door, but he got up all the same, said a few words to him, and sat down again. `In the following cases: physical defect in the married parties, desertion without communication for five years,' he said, crooking a short finger covered with hair, `adultery' (this word he pronounced with obvious satisfaction), `subdivided as follows' (he continued to crook his fat fingers, though the cases and their subdivisions could obviously not be classified together):

`physical defect of the husband or of the wife, adultery of the husband or of the wife.' As by now all his fingers were used up, he straightened them and went on: `This is the theoretical view; but I imagine you have done me the honor to apply to me in order to learn its application in practice.

And therefore, guided by precedents, I must inform you that in practice cases of divorce may all be reduced to the following - there's no physical defect, I may assume, nor desertion?...'

Alexei Alexandrovich bowed his head in assent.

`They may be reduced to the following: adultery of one of the married parties, and the detection in the fact of the guilty party by mutual agreement, and, failing such agreement, accidental detection. It must be admitted that the latter case is rarely met with in practice,' said the lawyer, and stealing a glance at Alexei Alexandrovich he paused, as a man selling pistols, after enlarging on the advantages of each weapon, might await his customer's choice. But Alexei Alexandrovich said nothing, and therefore the lawyer went on: `The most usual and simple, the sensible course, I consider, is adultery by mutual consent. I should not permit myself to express it so, speaking with a man of no education,' he said, `but I imagine that to you this is comprehensible.'

Alexei Alexandrovich was, however, so perturbed that he did not immediately comprehend all the reasonableness of adultery by mutual consent, and his eyes expressed this uncertainty; but the lawyer promptly came to his assistance.

`People cannot go on living together - here you have a fact. And if both are agreed about it, the details and formalities become a matter of no importance. And at the same time this is the simplest and most certain method.'

Alexei Alexandrovich understood fully now. But he had religious scruples, which hindered the execution of such a plan.

`That is out of the question in the present case,' he said. `Only one alternative is possible: involuntary detection, supported by letters which I have.'

At the mention of letters the lawyer pursed up his lips, and gave utterance to a thin little compassionate and contemptuous sound.

`Kindly consider,' he began, `cases of that kind are, as you are aware, under ecclesiastical jurisdiction; the reverend fathers are fond of going into the minutest details in cases of that kind,' he said, with a smile which betrayed his sympathy with the taste of the reverend fathers.

`Letters may, of course, be a partial confirmation; but detection in the act there must be of the most direct kind - that is, by eyewitnesses. In fact, if you do me the honor to trust me with your confidence, you will do well to leave me the choice of the measures to be employed. If one wants the result, one must allow the means.'

`If it is so...' Alexei Alexandrovich began, suddenly turning white; but at that moment the lawyer rose and again went to the door to speak to the intruding clerk.

`Tell her we don't haggle over fees!' he said, and returned to Alexei Alexandrovich.

On his way back he caught, unobserved, another moth. `Nice state my rep curtains will be in by the summer!' he thought, frowning.

`And so you were saying?...' he said.

`I will communicate my decision to you by letter,' said Alexei Alexandrovich, getting up, and he clutched at the table. After standing a moment in silence, he said: `From your words I may consequently conclude that a divorce may be obtained? I would ask you to let me know what your terms are.'

`It may be obtained if you give me complete liberty of action,'

said the lawyer, without answering his question. `When can I count on receiving word from you?' he asked moving toward the door, his eyes and his patent-leather shoes shining.

`In a week's time. You will be kind enough to communicate to me your answer as to whether you will undertake to conduct the case, and on what terms.'

`Very good, sir.'

The lawyer bowed respectfully, let his client out of the door, and, left alone, gave himself up to his sense of amusement. He felt so mirthful that, contrary to his rule, he made a reduction in his terms to the haggling lady, and gave up catching moths, finally deciding that next winter he must have the furniture covered with velvet, like Sigonin's.