Leaving the Caucasus, he presented himself once more in Moscow, in a Circassian coat, with cartridge-pouches on the breast, a dagger in his belt, and a tall fur cap on his head.  From this costume he did not part until the end, although he was no longer in the military service, from which he had been dismissed for not reporting on time.  He called on me, borrowed a little money ... and then began his “divings,” his progress through the tribulations,[12] or, as he expressed it, “through the seven Semyons";[13] then began his sudden absences and returns, the despatching of beautifully-written letters addressed to all possible persons, beginning with the Metropolitan and ending with riding-masters and midwives!  Then began the visits to acquaintances and strangers!  And here is one point which must be noted:  in making his calls he did not cringe and did not importune; but, on the contrary, he behaved himself in decorous fashion, and even wore a cheery and pleasant aspect, although an ingrained odour of liquor accompanied him everywhere—­and his Oriental costume was gradually reduced to rags.

“Give—­God will reward you—­although I do not deserve it,” he was accustomed to say, smiling brightly and blushing openly.  “If you do not give, you will be entirely in the right, and I shall not be angry in the least.  I shall support myself.  God will provide!  For there are many, very many people who are poorer and more worthy than I!”

Misha enjoyed particular success with women; he understood how to arouse their compassion.  And do not think that he was or imagined himself to be a Lovelace....  Oh, no!  In that respect he was very modest.  Whether he had inherited from his parents such cold blood, or whether herein was expressed his disinclination to do evil to any one,—­since, according to his ideas, to consort with a woman means inevitably to insult the woman,—­I will not take it upon myself to decide; only, in his relations with the fair sex he was extremely delicate.  The women felt this, and all the more willingly did they pity and aid him until he, at last, repelled them by his sprees and hard drinking, by the recklessness of which I have already spoken....  I cannot hit upon any other word.

On the other hand, in other respects he had already lost all delicacy and had gradually descended to the extreme depths of degradation.  He once went so far that in the Assembly of Nobility of T——­ he placed on the table a jug with the inscription: 

“Any one who finds it agreeable to tweak the nose of hereditary nobleman[14] Polteff (whose authentic documents are herewith appended) may satisfy his desire, on condition that he puts a ruble in this jug.”

And it is said that there were persons who did care to tweak the nobleman’s nose!  It is true that he first all but throttled one amateur who, having put but one ruble in the jug, tweaked his nose twice, and then made him sue for pardon; it is true also that he immediately distributed to other tatterdemalions a portion of the money thus secured ... but, nevertheless, what outrageous conduct!