The first terrible moments of agony and bereavement are over for you; you can now listen to me and weep. I will describe to you every detail of your son's last hours--details which I either saw myself, or which were related to me by other eyewitnesses. On Wednesday the 27th January/8th February, at ten o'clock in the evening, I called at the house of the Prince Viazemskii, where I was told that both he and the princess were at Pushkin's, and Valueff, to whom I afterwards went, addressed me on my entrance with the words:--"Have you not received the Princess's note? They have sent for you long ago; hurry off to Pushkin's: he is dying." Thunderstruck with this news, I rushed down-stairs. I galloped off to Pushkin's. In his antechamber, before the door of his study, I found Drs Arendt and Spasskii, Prince Viazemskii and Prince Mestcherskii. To the question, "_How is he?_"--Arendt answered me, "He is very bad; he will infallibly die." The following was the account they gave me of what had happened: At six o'clock, after dinner, Pushkin had been brought home in the same desperate condition by Lieutenant-Colonel Danzas, his schoolfellow at the Lyceum. A footman had taken him out of the carriage, and carried him in his arms up-stairs. "_Does it hurt you to carry me?_" asked Pushkin of the man. They carried him into his study; he himself told them to give him clean linen; he changed his dress, and lay down on a sofa. At the moment when they were helping him to lie down, his wife, who knew nothing of what had happened, was about to come into the room; but he cried out in a loud tone--"_N'entrez pas; il y a du monde chez moi._" He was afraid of frightening her. His wife, however, had already entered by the time that he was laid down completely dressed. They sent for the doctors. Arendt was not at home, but Scholtz and Zadler came. Pushkin ordered everybody to leave the room, (at this moment Danzas and Pletnieff were with him.) "_I am very bad_," he said, as he shook hands with Scholtz. They examined his wound, and Zadler went away to fetch the needful instruments. Left alone with Scholtz, Pushkin enquired, "_What do you think of my state--speak plainly?_" "I cannot conceal from you the fact, that you are in danger." "_Say rather, I am dying._" "I hold it my duty not to conceal from you that such is the case. But we will hear the opinion of Arendt and Salomon, who are sent for." "_Je vous remercie, vous avez agi en honnete homme envers moi_," said Pushkin. Then, after a moment's silence, he rubbed his forehead with his hand, and added, "_Il faut que j'arrange ma maison._" "Would you not like to see any of your relations?" asked Scholtz. "_Farewell, my friends!_" cried Pushkin, turning his eyes towards his library. To whom he bade adieu in these words, whether it was to his living or his dead friends, I know not. After waiting a few moments, he asked, "_Then do you think that I shall not live through the hour?_" "Oh no! I merely supposed that it might be