ember 6, 1911.

Mr. Strakhof left Moscow at night. He had calculated on Sofya
Andreyevna, [28] whose presence at Yasnaya Polyana was highly
inexpedient for the business on which he was bound, being still in
Moscow.

The business in question, as was made clear in the preliminary
consultation which V. G. Tchertkof held with N. K. Muravyof,
the solicitor, consisted in getting fresh signatures from Lyoff
Nikolaievich, whose great age made it desirable to make sure, without
delay, of his wishes being carried out by means of a more unassailable
legal document. Strakhof brought the draft of the will with him, and
laid it before Lyoff Nikolaievich. After reading the paper through, he
at once wrote under it that he agreed with its purport, and then added,
after a pause:

"All this business is very disagreeable to me, and it is unnecessary. To
insure the propagation of my ideas by taking all sorts of measures--why,
no word can perish without leaving its trace, if it expresses a truth,
and if the man who utters it believes profoundly in its truth. But all
these outward means for insuring it only come of our disbelief in what
we utter."

And with these words Lyoff Nikolaievich left the study.

Thereupon Mr. Strakhof began to consider what he must do next, whether
he should go back with empty hands, or whether he should argue it out.

He decided to argue it out, and endeavored to explain to my father
how painful it would be for his friends after his death to hear people
blaming him for not having taken any steps, despite his strong opinion
on the subject, to see that his wishes were carried out, and for having
thereby helped to transfer his copyrights to the members of his family.

Tolstoy promised to think it over, and left the room again.

At dinner Sofya Andreyevna "was evidently far from having any
suspicions." When Tolstoy was not by, however, she asked Mr. Strakhof
what he had come down about. Inasmuch as Mr. Strakhof had other affairs
in hand besides the will, he told her about one thing and another with
an easy conscience.

Mr. Strakhof described a second visit to Yasnaya, when he came to attest
the same will as a witness.

When he arrived, he said: "The countess had not yet come down. I
breathed again."

Of his departure, he said:

As I said good-by to Sofya Andreyevna, I examined her countenance
attentively. Such complete tranquillity and cordiality toward her
departing guests were written on it that I ha