A. Fet (Shenshin): _Moi Vospominaniya_, Moscow, 1890. These _Recollections_ contain much authentic information about Tolstoy, as well as a large number of his letters to Fet, which I have quoted in subsequent chapters. Bitovt. Golovatcheva-Panaeva, _Rousskie Pisateli i Artisty_: Petersburg, 1890. D. V. Grigorovitch, _Literatourniya Vospominaniya_: vol. xii. p. 326. G. P. Danilevsky, _Istoritcheskii Vestnik_: March 1886. P. A. Sergeyenko, _Tourgenef i Tolstoy_: _Niva_, No. 6, 1906. Tolstoy's _Confession_. See also, in Tolstoy's works. _The Decembrists_, chap. i. CHAPTER VI TRAVELS ABROAD Paris. Relations with Tourgénef. _Albert._ An execution. Switzerland. _Lucerne._ Yásnaya again. The _Iliad_ and the Gospels. Moscow: gymnastics. _Three Deaths._ Musical Society. Aunty Tatiána. 'Ufanizing.' Emancipation. Bear-hunting. Moscow Society of Lovers of Russian Literature. Attitude towards Art in 1859. Tourgénef. Farming. Fet. Drouzhínin. Nicholas's illness. Goes abroad again. Germany. Educational studies. Auerbach. Nicholas dies. Life at Hyères: children. Italy. Marseilles. Paris. Paul de Kock. London. Herzen. Proudhon. _Polikoúshka._ Auerbach again. Returns home. 1857 SINCE he took part in the Turkish war in 1854, Tolstoy has only twice been out of Russia. The first time was at the period we have now reached. On 10th February 1857 (new style) he left Moscow by post-chaise for Warsaw, from whence a railway already ran westward. He reached Paris on 21st February. There he met Tourgénef and Nekrásof, with the former of whom he was still unable to get on smoothly. Tourgénef writes: 'With Tolstoy I still cannot become quite intimate; we see things too differently'; and in some moment of anger Tolstoy even challenged his fellow-writer to a duel.[34] Nekrásof appears to have patched matters up, and in March Tolstoy and Tourgénef went to Dijon together, and spent some days there. During this trip Tolstoy commenced his story _Albert_, founded on his experience with the talented but drunken musician Rudolf, already mentioned in Chapter III. After he had returned to Paris, he was present at an execution, and made the following jotting in his Diary: [34] See Golovátcheva-Panáeva's _Rousskie Pisateli i Artisty_. I rose at seven o'clock and drove to see an execution. A stout, white, healthy neck and breast: he kissed the Gospels, and then--Death. How senseless.... I have not received this strong impression for naught. I am not a man of politics. Morals and art I know, love, and can (deal with). The guillotine long prevented my sleeping and obliged me to reflect.