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M. HARTWIG
47
fray and to attack Turkey, whose dissolution appears
to be setting in again? . .
" Oh! I feel sure that the Bulgarians would willingly
interpret the matter thus. But the Serbians would not
allow themselves to be drawn into such a venture, with
Austria in the background! Moreover, they will always
listen to our good advice. King Peter is very prudent,
and you yourself know the wisdom of M. Pachitch. . . ."
We separated with great cordiality, exchanging the
promise to communicate with each other on the
negotiations doubtless about to commence between the two
countries.
M. Hartwig played such an important part in the
events which have occurred since, that I must here
attempt to sketch his political portrait.
Born and educated in Russia and in exclusively
Russian surroundings, this grandson of a German
doctor who had emigrated to Russia, had absolutely
nothing German about him, either in his appearance or
his way of thinking. To the end of his life he remained
typically Russian, a Russian student, an enthusiast for
certain ideas, devoted up to his death to certain political
conceptions, despising formality, and conventionality in
appearance, sometimes even in his intercourse with
others ignoring the conventions ; vehement and despotic
in his opinions, but a good fellow all the same, and
willing to forgive the wrongs he had done to others. (A
characteristic far more rare than might be supposed.)
Poor and lacking patrons, but with a brilliant
scholastic career behind him, and possessing the true
Russian powers of application and thoroughness,
Hartwig soon attracted attention in the Asiatic
Department of the Foreign Office, which he entered on leaving
the University of St. Petersburg.
At that time the offices of the Ministry were still
divided into two definite camps. On one side the
"Chancellor’s office"—or Minister’s Cabinet—full of
young men-of-the-world, well connected, well educated,
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