The Torrents Of Spring

to leave off, and for the first time he realised that for such a sorrow, the
despondency of old age, there is no comfort or cure; one has to wait till it
passes off of itself. He proposed a game of tresette, and he could have
thought of nothing better. She agreed at once and seemed to get more
cheerful.
Sanin played with her until dinner-time and after dinner Pantaleone
too took a hand in the game. Never had his topknot hung so low over his
forehead, never had his chin retreated so far into his cravat! Every movement
was accompanied by such intense solemnity that as one looked at
him the thought involuntarily arose, ‘What secret is that man guarding
with such determination?’ But segredezza! segredezza!
During the whole of that day he tried in every possible way to show
the profoundest respect for Sanin; at table, passing by the ladies, he solemnly
and sedately handed the dishes first to him; when they were at
cards he intentionally gave him the game; he announced, apropos of
nothing at all, that the Russians were the most great-hearted, brave, and
resolute people in the world!
‘Ah, you old flatterer!’ Sanin thought to himself.
And he was not so much surprised at Signora Roselli’s unexpected
state of mind, as at the way her daughter behaved to him. It was not that
she avoided him … on the contrary she sat continually a little distance
from him, listened to what he said, and looked at him; but she absolutely
declined to get into conversation with him, and directly he began talking
to her, she softly rose from her place, and went out for some instants.
Then she came in again, and again seated herself in some corner, and sat
without stirring, seeming meditative and perplexed … perplexed above
all. Frau Lenore herself noticed at last, that she was not as usual, and
asked her twice what was the matter.
‘Nothing,’ answered Gemma; ‘you know I am sometimes like this.’
‘That is true,’ her mother assented.
So passed all that long day, neither gaily nor drearily – neither cheerfully
nor sadly. Had Gemma been different – Sanin … who knows?…
might not perhaps have been able to resist the temptation for a little display
– or he might simply have succumbed to melancholy at the possibility
of a separation for ever… . But as he did not once succeed in getting a
word with Gemma, he was obliged to confine himself to striking minor
chords on the piano for a quarter of an hour before evening coffee.
Emil came home late, and to avoid questions about Herr Klüber, beat a
hasty retreat. The time came for Sanin too to retire.
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