Moscow, Petersburg and Novgorod 307
must undertake a few little services in return ; he's not an illhumoured fellow I suppose: if he is I shall leave him in the road.'
'The most obliging man in the world; he will be entirely at your disposal. I thank you on his behalf.' And the consul galloped off to Prince Golitsyn to announce his success.
In the evening Preaux and the bona fide traveller set off.
Preaux did not speak all the way; at the first posting-station he went indoors and lay down on a sofa .
'Hi,' he shouted to his companion, 'come here and take off my boots.'
'Upon my word, why should I?'
'I tell you, take off my boots, or I shall leave you in the road ; I am not keeping you, you know.'
The police-officer took off the boots.
'Knock the dirt off and polish them.'
'That's really too much! '
'Very well : stay here! '
The officer polished the boots.
At the next station there was the same story with his clothes, and so Preaux went on tormenting him till they reached the frontier. To console this martyr of the secret service, the Sovereign's special attention was drawn to him and eventually he was made a police-superintendent.
The second day after my arrival in Petersburg the house porter came to ask me from the local police: 'With what papers have you come to Petersburg?' The only paper I had, the decree concerning my retirement from the service, I had sent to the Governor-General with my request for a passport. I gave the house-porter my permit, but he came back to say that it was valid for leaving Moscow but not for entering Petersburg. A police-officer came too, with an invitation to the oberpolitsmeystcr's office. I went to Kokoshkin's office, which was lit by lamps although it was daytime, and after an hour he arrived.
Kokoshkin more than other persons of the same selection was the picture of a servant of the Tsar with no ulterior designs, a man in favour, ready to do any dirty job, a favourite with no conscience and no bent for reflection. He served and made his pile as naturally as birds sing.
Perovsky told Nicholas that Kokoshkin was a great bribe-taker.
'Yes,' answered Nicholas, 'but I sleep peacefully at night knowing that he is politsmcyster in Petersburg.'
I looked at him while he was dealing with other people . . . .
What a battered, senile, depraved face he had ; he was wearing a
M Y P A S T A N D T H O U G H T S
308
curled wig which was glaringly incongruous with his sunken features and wrinkles.
After conversing with some German women in German and with a familiarity that showed they were old acquaintances, which was evident also from the way the women laughed and whispered, Kokoshkin came up to me, and looking down asked in a rather rude voice:
'\Vhy, are not you forbidden by His Majesty to enter Petersburg?'
'Yes, but I have permission.'
'Where is it?'
'I have it here.'
'Show it. How's this? You are using the same permit twice.'
'Twice?'
'I remember that you came here before.'
'I didn't.'
'And what is your business here? '
' I have business with Count Orlov.'
'Have you been at the Count's, then?'
'No, but I have been at the Third Division.'
'Have you seen Dubelt?'
'Yes.'
'Well, I saw Orlov himself yesterday and he says that he has sent you no permit.'
'It's in your hands.'
'God knows when this was written, and the time has expired.'
'It would be an odd thing for me to do, wouldn't it? to come
\Vithout permission and begin with a visit to General Dubelt.'
'If you don't want any trouble, be so good as to go back, and not later than the next twenty-four hours.'
'I was not proposing to remain here long, but I must wait for Count Orlov's answer.'
'I cannot give you leave to do so; besides, Count Orlov is much displeased at your coming without permission.'
'Kindly give me my permit and I will go to the Count at once.'
'It must remain with me.'
'But it is a letter to me, addressed to me personally, the only document on the strength of which I am here.'
'The document will remain with me as a proof that you have been in Petersburg. I earnestly advise you to go to-morrow m order that nothing worse may befall you.'
Be nodded and went out. Much good it is talking to them!
Moscow, Petersburg and Novgorod 309
Old General Tuchkov had a lawsuit with the Treasury. His village head-man undertook a contract, did some swindling and was caught with a deficit. The court ordered that the money should be paid by the landowner who had given the head-man the authorisation. But no authorisation in regard to this undertaking ever had been given and Tuchkov said so in his answer.
The case was brought before the Senate, and the Senate again decided : 'Inasmuch as Lieutenant-General Tuchkov, retired, gave an authorisation . . . then . . .' To which Tuchkov again answered: 'But inasmuch as Lieutenant-General Tuchkov, retired, gave no authorisation . . . then . . .' A year passed, and the police made their pronouncement again, sternly repeating:
'Inasmuch as Lieutenant-General, etc.,' and once more the old gentleman wrote his answer. I do not know how this interesting case ended. I left Russia without waiting for the decision.
All this is not at all exceptional but quite the normal thing.
Kokoshkin holds in his hands a document of the genuineness of which there is no doubt, on which there is a number and date so that it can be easily verified, in which it is written that I am permitted to visit Petersburg, and says: 'Since you have come without permi�sion you must go back,' and puts the document in his pocket.
Chaadayev was right indeed when he said of these gentry:
'What rogues they all are!'
I went to the Third Division and told Dubelt what had happened. He burst out laughing. 'What a muddle they everlastingly niake of everything! Kokoshkin reported to the Count you had come without permission and the Count said you were to be sent away, but I explained the position to him afterwards ; you can stay as long as you like. I'll have the police written to at once.
But now about your petition: the Count does not think it would be of any use to ask permission for you to go abroad. The Tsar has refused you twice, the last time when Count Strogonov interceded for you; if he refuses a third time, you won't get to the waters during this reign, for certain.'
'What am I to do?' I asked in horror, for the idea of travel and freedom had taken such deep root in my heart.
'Go to Moscow: the Count will write a private letter to the Governor-General telling him that you want to go abroad for the sake of your wife's health, assuring him that he knows nothing of you but what is good, and asking him whether he thinks it would be possib](' to rr]i('vc yon from polin' supervision. He can make no answer but "yes" to such a question. We shall report to the Tsar the removal of police supervision, then you take out a
l\1 Y
P A S T
A N D
T H 0 U G H T S
3 1 0
passport for yourself like anybody else, and you can go to any watering-place you like, and good luck to you.'
All this seemed to me extraordinarily complicated, and indeed I fancied it was a device simply to get rid of me. They could not refuse me point-blank, for it would have brought down upon them the wrath of Olga Alexandrovna, "'\·hom I visited every day.