24–30 November 1856

Got up at ten. Corrected a good deal. Went early to the Gymnasium. Went to Lovich, met Korsakov and was brusque with him, of which I am very glad. Gymnastics. Dined at home. Alone the whole evening, read — worked lazily. Wrote a tiny letter to Vaterya .

Rose at nine having again slept badly. Went to the menagerie. Early to Kovatevski. Hf was nice. At the University they played rubbish. The Emperor has read Childhood . At the menagerie there was a lady with sensual eyes. Worked in the morning and before dinner. Dined at home, dear Annenkov and the unbearable Bakdnin came. To-morrow to the gaming house. Thought with horror about Valdrya apropos of the look of the lady with the sensual eyes.

Got up at ten. Wrote. Gymnastics. Dined at home. Dictated A Landlord1 s Morning , good. Balyuzek came and then Druzhfnin. Cheerful and pleasant. Had a stupidly meek letter from Valerya. Went to see 6lga Turgeneva. Felt ill at ease*' there, but enjoyed a delightful trio. Called at Panaev’s, he de- pressed me.

Got up at ten. Had a stupid letter from Valerya. She humbugs herself and I see through it, and that is trying. If men could but know one another in such a way as not to accept the other’s thought direct but to see its action on the other man. . . . Pdlovtsov told me about Bobrinski. Beast! Finished A Landlord's Morning. Gymnastics. Dined at home. Music, Kaldshin, Annen- kov, drank. . . . Wrote a cold letter to Valka.

Got up late. Played. Gymnastics. Legs ache. Have received my discharge. Dined. Went to Annenkov, Botkin, and Maykov. She has a wonder- ful voice. Wanderer. At Druzhfnin’s four of us spent a splendid evening. Took another rubles from Kolbasin.

Omitted this day, and don’t remember what I did. Corrected a few proofs. Yes, finished A Landlord's Morning and took it myself to Kra^vski. Was in good spirits there. Dispute with a Conservative. Kamenski, Dudyshkin, and Goncharov praised A Land- lord's Morning slightly. About Vaterya I think little and unpleasantly.