30 November–6 December 1857

Sent off The Telegraph. N. S. Tolstoy is a dull chatterbox. Walked with Aksakov. Evening at home. Wrote letters to Ogier, Kolbasin, the vHlage Elder, V. Perfflev, and Grigdryev. The Lost One will be published in January.

At one went with Masha to a concert. The impression was weak. Kireeva, C. Obolenskaya ; Shcher- batova is pretty. N. S. Tolstdy came to dine and all was well at first ; afterwards he killed me with boredom. Evening at Dyakov’s. Wonderful sisters. A. hold*- me by a thread and I am grateful to her for it. Yet o’f an evening I am passionately in love with her and return home filled with happiness or sadness — I don’t know which.

Wrote a little. Gymnastics. Dined at home. A. Sukhotin. Evening at the Shakhovskdys’. Stupid and dull, ugly. I danced happily — Liven.

Wrote a little. Dined at Fet’s. There’s still something not right. Antony and Cleopatra — the translation is bad. In the theatre all the time with A. To tea with them, told her about my fogginess. She likes my fogginess. Discussion with Michael Mikhliyloviph Sukhotin about Socialism.

To the menagerie with the children. Gymnastics — the first time satisfactorily. Dinner at the SiJkhotfns’. She was anxiously sounding mfe. All the same Ptyove and am foolish with her. Evening at the Perfflevs’ ; it seemed as if I had perplexed them. Tyucheva is nice with the Bushkovs’ and wishes to be so with me. I speak less fevil than formerly. Club, Shcherbatov. Bdbrinski. The Gipsies. Yuri €>bolenski — dull and not even disgusting. My brothers have arrived. Fell asleep towards 6 A.M.

Woke up at one. Walked. Visited the Behrs. Dined at home, am out of sorts, my head aches. To the Aksakovs’ wjth Masha ; they graciously admonish me. ... At home disputed with my brothers.

Gymnastics — badly. Wrote a little. Theatre — the play was an abomination. To the Sushkovs’; Tyii«hev gave me a reprimand for my dialectics. To the Ryihnins’ — not the thing. Shcherbatova is far from being ugly.