Note 81 — Chapter 5 Golovin

Here between the sheets of Herzen’s MS. are gummed copies of two of his letters to Golovin:—

‘Aug. 22, 1854, Richmond.

‘Dear Sir,—You wrote to me that you wished to efface all memory of our acquaintanceship, a few days later you ask me to lend you ten pounds.

‘To your first letter I answered with courtesy and sincerity, regardless of the tone of your letter. To the second I made no answer. Correspondence between us is impossible. I return your letter and will not receive any in the future. Fully persuaded that I have done nothing unfair in regard to you, I shall remain obstinately silent so long as that is possible, relying on the common sense of every impartial person.

‘A. Herzen.’

B.

‘Aug. 23, 1854.

‘You are trying to make me fight you as boys are made to fight. It is a matter of complete indifference to me whether you consider me a coward or a brave man, a thief or a counterfeit coiner.

‘Do you want to fight me because you are ashamed of having asked for ten pounds from a man with whom you had rudely cut off all relations? If I had given you the money you would have felt no reconnaissance.

‘I am not going to fight you, because it is stupid, because I have done nothing for which I owe you reparation, and because finally I stand independently on my own feet and am not going to give way to another man’s will or insulting language, dictated by some insanity.

‘Do not imagine that I am making any secret of this letter. You can read it or not. In fact, do as you please, only don’t write to me.

‘For my part, I am not going to write or even speak of it, I am so sick of it.

‘A. Herzen.’