The Torrents Of Spring

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‘Is it your wish, madam, that I find you your carriage?’ said the young officer addressing Maria Nikolaevna with a quiver of ill-disguised fury in his voice. ‘No, thank you,’ she answered … ‘my man will find it. Stop!’ she added in an imperious whisper, and rapidly withdrew drawing Sanin along with her. ‘Go to the devil! Why are you staring at me?’ Dönhof roared suddenly at the literary man. He had to vent his feelings upon some one! ‘Sehr gut! sehr gut!’ muttered the literary man, and shuffled off. Maria Nikolaevna’s footman, waiting for her in the entrance, found her carriage in no time. She quickly took her seat in it; Sanin leapt in after her. <strong>The</strong> doors were slammed to, and Maria Nikolaevna exploded in a burst of laughter. ‘What are you laughing at?’ Sanin inquired. ‘Oh, excuse me, please … but it struck me: what if Dönhof were to have another duel with you … on my account… . wouldn’t that be wonderful?’ ‘Are you very great friends with him?’ Sanin asked. ‘With him? that boy? He’s one of my followers. You needn’t trouble yourself about him!’ ‘Oh, I’m not troubling myself at all.’ Maria Nikolaevna sighed. ‘Ah, I know you’re not. But listen, do you know what, you’re such a darling, you mustn’t refuse me one last request. Remember in three days’ time I am going to Paris, and you are returning to Frankfort… . Shall we ever meet again?’ ‘What is this request?’ ‘You can ride, of course?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, then, to-morrow morning I’ll take you with me, and we’ll go a ride together out of the town. We’ll have splendid horses. <strong>The</strong>n we’ll come home, wind up our business, and amen! Don’t be surprised, don’t tell me it’s a caprice, and I’m a madcap – all that’s very likely – but simply say, I consent.’ Maria Nikolaevna turned her face towards him. It was dark in the carriage, but her eyes glittered even in the darkness. ‘Very well, I consent,’ said Sanin with a sigh. ‘Ah! You sighed!’ Maria Nikolaevna mimicked him. ‘That means to say, as you’ve begun, you must go on to the bitter end. But no, no… . You’re charming, you’re good, and I’ll keep my promise. Here’s my hand, without a glove on it, the right one, for business. Take it, and have 118
faith in its pressure. What sort of a woman I am, I don’t know; but I’m an honest fellow, and one can do business with me.’ Sanin, without knowing very well what he was doing, lifted the hand to his lips. Maria Nikolaevna softly took it, and was suddenly still, and did not speak again till the carriage stopped. She began getting out… . What was it? Sanin’s fancy? or did he really feel on his cheek a swift burning kiss? ‘Till to-morrow!’ whispered Maria Nikolaevna on the steps, in the light of the four tapers of a candelabrum, held up on her appearance by the gold-laced door-keeper. She kept her eyes cast down. ‘Till tomorrow!’ When he got back to his room, Sanin found on the table a letter from Gemma. He felt a momentary dismay, and at once made haste to rejoice over it to disguise his dismay from himself. It consisted of a few lines. She was delighted at the ‘successful opening of negotiations,’ advised him to be patient, and added that all at home were well, and were already rejoicing at the prospect of seeing him back again. Sanin felt the letter rather stiff, he took pen and paper, however … and threw it all aside again. ‘Why write? I shall be back myself to-morrow … it’s high time!’ He went to bed immediately, and tried to get to sleep as quickly as possible. If he had stayed up and remained on his legs, he would certainly have begun thinking about Gemma, and he was for some reason … ashamed to think of her. His conscience was stirring within him. But he consoled himself with the reflection that to-morrow it would all be over for ever, and he would take leave for good of this feather-brained lady, and would forget all this rotten idiocy!… Weak people in their mental colloquies, eagerly make use of strong expressions. Et puis … cela ne tire pas à consequence! 119
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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
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The old man looked dejectedly at hi
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arm with Baron Dönhof. And afterwa
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XXIII He slept for some hours witho
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you… .’ And Frau Lenore half ro
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‘Oh, come! I have not been expose
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‘Very well,’ said Gemma. ‘If
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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 and 106: XXXVII Sanin proceeded to expound h
Page 107 and 108: XXXVIII Oh, what a deep sigh of del
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: XL The play lasted over an hour lon
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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The Torrents Of Spring

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