The Torrents Of Spring

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‘Really? Why, you’re a paragon. Though I don’t either. It’s stupid throwing away one’s money when one’s no chance. But go into the gambling saloon, and look at the faces. Very comic ones there are there. There’s one old woman with a rustic headband and a moustache, simply delicious! Our prince there’s another, a good one too. A majestic figure with a nose like an eagle’s, and when he puts down a thaler, he crosses himself under his waistcoat. Read the papers, go a walk, do what you like, in fact. But at three o’clock I expect you … de pied ferme. We shall have to dine a little earlier. The theatre among these absurd Germans begins at half-past six. She held out her hand. ‘Sans rancune, n’est-ce pas?’ ‘Really, Maria Nikolaevna, what reason have I to be annoyed?’ ‘Why, because I’ve been tormenting you. Wait a little, you’ll see. There’s worse to come,’ she added, fluttering her eyelids, and all her dimples suddenly came out on her flushing cheeks. ‘Till we meet!’ Sanin bowed and went out. A merry laugh rang out after him, and in the looking-glass which he was passing at that instant, the following scene was reflected: Maria Nikolaevna had pulled her husband’s fez over his eyes, and he was helplessly struggling with both hands. 106
XXXVIII Oh, what a deep sigh of delight Sanin heaved, when he found himself in his room! Indeed, Maria Nikolaevna had spoken the truth, he needed rest, rest from all these new acquaintances, collisions, conversations, from this suffocating atmosphere which was affecting his head and his heart, from this enigmatical, uninvited intimacy with a woman, so alien to him! And when was all this taking place? Almost the day after he had learnt that Gemma loved him, after he had become betrothed to her. Why, it was sacrilege! A thousand times he mentally asked forgiveness of his pure chaste dove, though he could not really blame himself for anything; a thousand times over he kissed the cross she had given him. Had he not the hope of bringing the business, for which he had come to Wiesbaden, to a speedy and successful conclusion, he would have rushed off headlong, back again, to sweet Frankfort, to that dear house, now his own home, to her, to throw himself at her loved feet… . But there was no help for it! The cup must be drunk to the dregs, he must dress, go to dinner, and from there to the theatre… . If only she would let him go to-morrow! One other thing confounded him, angered him; with love, with tenderness, with grateful transport he dreamed of Gemma, of their life together, of the happiness awaiting him in the future, and yet this strange woman, this Madame Polozov persistently floated – no! not floated, poked herself, so Sanin with special vindictiveness expressed it – poked herself in and faced his eyes, and he could not rid himself of her image, could not help hearing her voice, recalling her words, could not help being aware even of the special scent, delicate, fresh and penetrating, like the scent of yellow lilies, that was wafted from her garments. This lady was obviously fooling him, and trying in every way to get over him … what for? what did she want? Could it be merely the caprice of a spoiled, rich, and most likely unprincipled woman? And that husband! What a creature he was! What were his relations with her? And why would these questions keep coming into his head, when he, Sanin, had really no interest whatever in either Polozov or his wife? Why could he not drive away that intrusive image, even when he turned with his whole soul to another image, clear and bright as God’s sunshine? How, through those almost divine features, dare those others force themselves upon him? And not only that; those other features smiled insolently at him. Those grey, rapacious eyes, those dimples, those snake-like tresses, how was it all 107
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The Torrents Of Spring Turgenev, Iv
Page 3 and 4:
‘Years of gladness, Days of joy,
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I It was the summer of 1840. Sanin
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‘But meanwhile Emil will die!’
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‘He is saved, mother, he is alive
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Roselli pointed to his portrait, pa
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much ado and accompanying himself w
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illustrissimo maestro Rossini - in
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‘The whole fare!’ Sanin said do
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VIII He had not finished dressing,
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IX Emil, who had continued to stand
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presence of the ladies of the house
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XI The bell tinkled at the outer do
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XII It appeared that Gemma was not
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carrying with him the image of the
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powerful whiff of the most refined
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mirthfulness of the company; he beg
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muttered something unintelligible,
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embarrassed by his presence - Gemma
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and all that’s left is that I am
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XVIII An hour later the waiter came
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single-triggered and not rifle-barr
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to leave off, and for the first tim
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XX It was bright starlight when he
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XXI It was quite morning when he fe
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‘Your return,’ moaned Emil - an
Page 53 and 54:
The old man looked dejectedly at hi
Page 55 and 56: arm with Baron Dönhof. And afterwa
Page 57 and 58: XXIII He slept for some hours witho
Page 59 and 60: you… .’ And Frau Lenore half ro
Page 61 and 62: ‘Oh, come! I have not been expose
Page 63 and 64: ‘Very well,’ said Gemma. ‘If
Page 65 and 66: that I cannot give you any advice
Page 67 and 68: XXVI At eight o’clock next mornin
Page 69 and 70: morning, in one of the public garde
Page 71 and 72: to say, which could compare, in imp
Page 73 and 74: XXVIII Sanin walked along, at one t
Page 75 and 76: ‘But, Gemma,’ cried Sanin, ‘d
Page 77 and 78: XXIX If Gemma had announced that sh
Page 79 and 80: XXX The transition from despair to
Page 81 and 82: ‘Come, that’s nonsense, nonsens
Page 83 and 84: XXXI Sanin woke up very early. He f
Page 85 and 86: ordered with intense care a very la
Page 87 and 88: ‘There’s one means,’ Polozov
Page 89 and 90: argaining with her. I shall tell he
Page 91 and 92: XXXIII It takes less than an hour i
Page 93 and 94: flew up another man, also very well
Page 95 and 96: But Gemma’s image preserved Sanin
Page 97 and 98: XXXV The free and easy deportment o
Page 99 and 100: ‘I should be satisfied with a few
Page 101 and 102: XXXVI Long after midnight the lamp
Page 103 and 104: avenues of the park, now mounting a
Page 105: XXXVII Sanin proceeded to expound h
Page 109 and 110: much as her diamonds; she seemed in
Page 111 and 112: XXXIX In the year 1840, the theatre
Page 113 and 114: Maria Nikolaevna suddenly turned to
Page 115 and 116: ‘Yes, Dimitri Pavlovitch,’ she
Page 117 and 118: XL The play lasted over an hour lon
Page 119 and 120: faith in its pressure. What sort of
Page 121 and 122: She seemed so happy that Sanin was
Page 123 and 124: XLII This track soon changed into a
Page 125 and 126: and plunged into a rather narrow go
Page 127 and 128: The same day, two hours later, Sani
Page 129 and 130: that smile he knows already, the sm
Page 131 and 132: probably know her husband’s addre
Page 133 and 134: We will not attempt to describe the
Page 135 and 136: continues today to seem as fresh an
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