_September 20th._ I told Tolstoi about the article in the _Moscow Courier_ where Maeterlinck’s is quoted as saying that _Power of Darkness_ is in his opinion almost the greatest play. Tolstoi laughed and said: “Why doesn’t he imitate it, then?” FOOTNOTE: [1] The theme of _The Corpse_ became known to the newspapers through Tolstoi’s copyist, Alexander Petrovich, who, in a drunken bout in the Khitrovka, told a fellow drunkard, a reporter of the _Novosti Dnya_, that Tolstoi was writing a play, and also told him the subject of the play. The reporter made an article of it and published it in the paper. This was the cause of the _dramatis personae_ coming to Tolstoi, and it was also one of the reasons why Tolstoi left the play unfinished. (Years afterwards the play, finished, was published and entitled _The Living Corpse_.) 1902 _Moscow, January 13th._ Tolstoi once told me: “When I went to see _Power of Darkness_ acted I sat in the gallery on purpose so as not to be recognized. Yet I was recognized; they began to tell me to go on the stage, and I hurried home at once. But there was a moment when I could hardly restrain myself from stepping on to the stage and beginning to speak, to say everything--whatever that may be.” _January 15th._ Gorky read aloud to Tolstoi the end of Mazzini’s book _On the Duties of Man_, which Tolstoi likes very much. While Gorky was reading, Tolstoi, who had read the book more than once, was almost moved to tears. Madame N. N. Den told me the following story, which she had from her sister. When Tolstoi was very ill he thought he was dying, and took leave and said good-bye to all who were present. Leo Lvovich was the only one of Tolstoi’s children who was absent, and Tolstoi dictated a letter to him. Those who read it say that this farewell letter at the point of death was deeply moving. The letter, however, was not sent, for Leo Lvovich arrived at Gaspra in person. When he came into Tolstoi’s room, Tolstoi said that it was difficult for him to speak, but that he had expressed all his thoughts and feelings in the letter, which he handed to his son. Leo Lvovich read the letter at once in Tolstoi’s room, then came into the next room, and, in the presence of all those who were there (Countess Sophie Nicolaevna included), tore his dying father’s letter into little bits and threw it in the wastepaper basket.... _Yasnaya Polyana, July 25th._ I have been here a few days. Tolstoi is well physically. To-day Tolstoi said to Doctor Butkevich: “The only true way for a man to improve human life is by the way of moral perfection in his personal life. Spiritual life is a constant progress, a constant effort towards the realization of truth.” The conversation turned upon literature. It began with my saying that Sienkewicz’s novel, _The Sword Bearers_, was a boring book. Tolstoi said: