ENGLISH
Thankfully Anna managed to cure him eventually – in 1871 Dostoevsky played his last card game and never went back to gambling again. Saxon les Bains.
Letter to Anna translated by Anastasia Fedosova 18th November 1867. Monday
Anya, my darling, my precious Anya, I gambled away everything, everything, everything! Oh, my angel, don’t be saddened or worried! Rest assured, the time when I am worthy of you, when I no longer steal from you like an odious, wicked thief, will come soon! Now the novel, only the novel will save us, and if only you knew how much I hope for that! Rest assured, I will achieve the goal and earn your respect. Never ever will I gamble again! The same thing happened in 1865. It would be hard to be more in difficulty than then, but the work saved me. I will get to work with love and with hope, and you will see what happens in 2 years. For now, my angel, don’t worry! I hope and I long to see you, but I am not in a position to set off until Thursday. And here is why: may you know everything. I pawned both the ring and the winter coat and I lost everything. 50 Francs are needed to be paid for the ring and the coat, and I’ll buy them back (you’ll see). But that’s not the point now. Now it is 3pm. In half an hour I’ll submit this letter and go to the post office to get yours, if it is there (I jostled in the post office in the morning, but there was nobody, no one was working). Thus, my letter will be sent tomorrow either at 5am or 11am – I don’t know. Anyway, you will get it tomorrow. However, I won’t be able to check out of the hotel, as I’ll have owed them money by that time. Therefore, I beg you, Anya, my rescuing angel, to send me 50 Francs to pay for the hotel. If you manage to send me the money on Wednesday morning, or tomorrow, on Tuesday evening, I’ll get it on Wednesday night, and then on Thursday morning or before 6pm I’ll be with you. My friend, don’t be sad that I impoverished you, don’t suffer, thinking of our future. I will fix it, I will fix everything! 11
