12–18 January 1857

I started at nine. . . . Three poets: (1) Zhemchuzhmkov has power of expression, few sparks, and draws on others. (2) Kiesewetter has fire but no force. (3) An artist — who values both and says that he is burnt up. A journey all in abrupt sentences not addressed to a reader as a comrade, or a poetic journey like the Senti- mental Journey (which is very clever) ? On the journey, itablissements pour dormir debout and a child’s laughter, though tired out. A Pole — guided by his knowledge of a language — chapeaux beaux , atmosphere jolie. A Russian tradesman in a Polish overcoat and shaved — the same as ever but shaved and in a Polish overcoat. Limiting the landowner class to pure Russians — not reckoning Little Russians, White Russians, Finns, Tartars, Mordovs, etc. — who are left ? Write every day without interruption : (1) The Outlying Field , (2) the second part of Youth , (3) The Fugitive (4) The Cossack* (5) The Lost One ,* and (6) A Woman's Story . “ When there are nuts the squirrels have no teeth”1 * *: she loves and feels she has a right to do so, but then this no longer satisfies her. (7) A Comedy, A Practical Person : a George Sand woman and a Hamlet of our times, a crying sickly protest against everything, buUa lack of personality. A man of Nicholas I’s time, an officer, and a woman, the Princess N. A. Obolenskaya. A traveller, a French- man, intently observing insignificant circumstances and immediately noting them down. An honest Russian artist grew angry with those who suspected insincerity (and with Zhemchuzhnikov a) and said, ** The man we see slobber- ing is a Tsar and is great, he has burnt himself up, but you never will ! It is well said that, ' the Sevastopol heroes have all remained there, but here not everyone is a hero ! ’ Talent is a great gift, to be carefully dealt with, or you may consume others and yourself” — and he burst into tears. A young lady travelling with us. Grigordvich’s stories are rubbish.

Slept till two. Went to see Masha. She is ~nd lonely. Paulina is a vain, sixty-year-old little girl. Went to the Club, disputed about Grandvski 4 * with Cherkisski ; he is a dry dialectitian.

Kdstinka seems fresher. Did not find the Perfflevs in. They were very glad to see me at Aksakov’s. It was intolerably dull at Yakovleva’s till M£sha came. Went again to the Aksakovs’. They are limited and egotistical. In the evening read Pushkin at Masha’s.

Can’t remember what happened each day. Oppressed by loneliness, idleness, and the absence of women. Serezha arrived. We talked much, easily, and pleasantly. B.’s sister is a charming woman but I shall not become intimate with her. At Sukhotfn’s there’s a whiff of my only real love. Valerian is certainly horfid.