25–31 August 1856

Idleness, laziness, self-dissatisfaction. The Gfmbut family. The only thing I did was tidying up my notes and reading Little Dorrit.

Did nothing from the first. Durova sat here : piteous. Rode out in the evening with the dogs. Found nothing. The copyist has come.

In the morning worked with the cojpyist and it goes slowly. He wrote five chapters during the day. Dined at Gimbut’s. He is happy. Wrote^in the evening.'

My birthday. Sad. Rode all evening with the dogs, corrected four chapters, rewrote half.

In the morning finished the 'fchapter Understanding. Went coursing. Hunted down two. In the evening did nothing. Read Berg. Despicable as the comme il faut is, a writer in whom it is lacking disgusts me.

Made a clean copy of one chapter. Dictated a little. Went coursing. Am depressed. Am dull. I seem to have grown old since the 28th.

Made a clean copy of one chapter. Dictated. Same as yesterday.