To I. I. Gorbunov-Posadov, 17 September 1891. Moscow.

This is a brief follow-up to Chekhov’s earlier note to Ivan Ivanovich Gorbunov-Posadov, the editor of Posrednik ("The Intermediary"), Tolstoy’s publishing house for cheap, morally improving booklets aimed at the Russian peasantry. Gorbunov-Posadov had evidently asked whether Posrednik might reprint Chekhov’s story "The Attack" (Припадок, 1888) – written in memory of the novelist Vsevolod Garshin and already published in a memorial collection for Garshin as well as in Chekhov’s own 1890 story collection "Gloomy People" (Хмурые люди). Chekhov’s answer is characteristically brief and unfussy: he flags the story’s prior appearances as a matter of fairness to the publisher, rather than objecting to a further reprint, and gives his consent readily if the earlier printings pose no obstacle.

As in the earlier letter to Gorbunov-Posadov, the envelope is addressed care of Vladimir Grigoryevich Chertkov, Tolstoy’s closest disciple and the effective head of the Tolstoyan publishing network, at Rossosha in Voronezh province – confirmation that mail to Gorbunov-Posadov continued to be routed through Chertkov’s hands even for a brief business note like this one.