Year: 1877

At the time when the first open court
of law was established in Russia, lady,
dressed with the utmost elegance, was
walking on the Moscow promenade,
leaning upon her husbands arm, and
letting the long train of her rich dress
sweep the dust and dirt of the street.


A young officer, coming hastily from
side street, was so careless as to catch
one of his spurs in the lady's train, and
in an instant a great piece was torn out
of the costly but frail material of the
dress.


81 beg thousand pardons, madame"
said the officer, with polite bow, and
then was about passing on, when he
was detained by the lady's husband.
"You have insulted my wife,"
"NOthing was farther from my inten-
| ton, sir. Your wife's long dress is to
blame for the accident, which / sincere
ly regret, and beg you once more to
receive my apologies foI any careless
ness on my part" Thereupon he at
tempted to hasten on.


"YOu shall not escape so," said the
lady, with her head thrown back in
spirited way. "To-day is the first time
l have worn this dress, and it cost two
hundred rubies, which you must make
good"


my dear madame, beg you not to
detain me. l am obliged to go on duty at
once. As to the two hundred rubles-
l really can not help the length of your
dress, yet l beg your pardon for not


having been more cautious"


"YOu shall not stir, sir. That you


are obliged to go on duty is nothing to


us. My wife is right; the dress must


be made good"


The officers face grew pale.


"You force me to break through the


rules of the service, and | shall receive


punishment"


"Pay the two hundred rubles and


you are free"


The quickly changing color in the


young mans face betrayed how in


wardly disturbed he was but stepping


close up to them both, he said, with


apparent self-command,
I "YOu will renOunce your claim when


l tell you that l am a-a-poor man,


who has nothing to live on but his


officers pay, and the amount of that


pay hardly reaches the sum of two hun


dred rubles in a whole year. l can,


therefore, make no amends for the mis-


fortune, except by again begging your
pardon"


''Oh anybody could say all that /;
but we'll see if it's true we'll find out
if you have nothing but you pay.


declare myself not satisfied with your


excuses, and l demand money" persist
ed the lady, in the hard voice of a
: thoroughly unfeeling woman.
"That is true-yOu are right" the
r husband added, dutifully supporting
her. ''By good luck we have the open
court now just in session. Go with us
: before the judge and he will decide the
matter"


e All further prOtestatiOn on the officers
part that he was poor, that he was ex-
pected on duty, and so forth, did not
help matters. Out of respect for his
uniform, and to avoid an open scene,
he had to go with them to the court


room, where the gallery was densely
packed with crowd of people.
: After waiting some time, the lady
had leave to bring her com mplaint.
, "What have you to answer to this


complaint ?" said the judge, turning to


the officer, who seemed EN- barrassed and
half in despair.


''On the whole, very little. AS the
. lateness of the hour, and being required


on duty, compelled me to hurry, L did


not notice this lady's train, which was
dragging on the ground. l caught one
/ of my spurs in it, and had the misfOr-
: tune to tear the dress. Madame would
9 not receive my excuses, but perhaps


now she might find herself more dis.
posed to forgiveness, when | again
}, declare, so help me God, that | COM
T mitted this awkward blunder without
j, any mischievous intention, and 1 earn.


estly beg that she will pardon me-"
A murmur ran through the gallery
!, evidently from the people taking side.
!, with the defendant, and against Ions
n trains in general and the lady in par
:, ticular.


The judge called to order, and asked
|. care you satisfied with the defendant
G explanation 7"


# s'Not at all satisfied. l demand two
- hundred rubles in payment for my tori
) Dress"


n Defendant, will you pay this sum |?
is 81 would have paid it long before
IS this had been in position to do so
!. Unfortunately am poor. My pay a
II an officer is all have to live on"
e 'You hear, complainant, that the de
G fendant is not able to pay the sum yol
o demand of him. Do you still wish tn
complaint to stand ?"
An unbroken stiffness reigned through
is out the hall, and the young officer
d breath could 6e heard coming hard.


81 wish it to stand. The law shal
"a give me my rights"


. There ran through the rows of peo
pie a murmur of Indignation tha
l. sounded like rushing of water"
Of "COnsider complainant, the conse
rs quences of your demand. The defend


ant can be punished only through beini
u deprived of his personal liberty, an
ID by that you could obtain no satisfaction
ID while to the defendant it might prov
+ the greatest injury in his rank an
- position as an officer, and especially a
's he is an officer who is poor and depend
Of ent npon his pay. Do you still insis
le upon your complaint 7"
% 81 still insist upon it."


The course the affair was takin


seemed to have become painful to tn
al lady's husband. He spoke with hi
ID wife urgently, but, as could be seen b
ye the way she held up her head and tn
- energy with which she shook it, quit
W uselessly. The judge was just goin
Ill on to further consideration of the case
l. when loud voice was heard from tn
v audience:


.1 will place the two hundred ruble


at the service of the defendant"