The Torrents Of Spring

XXXV
The free and easy deportment of Madame Polozov would probably for
the first moment have disconcerted Sanin – though he was not quite a
novice and had knocked about the world a little – if he had not again
seen in this very freedom and familiarity a good omen for his undertaking.
‘We must humour this rich lady’s caprices,’ he decided inwardly;
and as unconstrainedly as she had questioned him he answered, ‘Yes; I
am going to be married.’
‘To whom? To a foreigner?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you get acquainted with her lately? In Frankfort?’
‘Yes.’
‘And what is she? May I know?’
‘Certainly. She is a confectioner’s daughter.’
Maria Nikolaevna opened her eyes wide and lifted her eyebrows.
‘Why, this is delightful,’ she commented in a drawling voice; ‘this is
exquisite! I imagined that young men like you were not to be met with
anywhere in these days. A confectioner’s daughter!’
‘I see that surprises you,’ observed Sanin with some dignity; ‘but in the
first place, I have none of these prejudices … ’
‘In the first place, it doesn’t surprise me in the least,’ Maria Nikolaevna
interrupted; ‘I have no prejudices either. I’m the daughter of a peasant
myself. There! what can you say to that? What does surprise and delight
me is to have come across a man who’s not afraid to love. You do love
her, I suppose?’
‘Yes.’
‘Is she very pretty?’
Sanin was slightly stung by this last question… . However, there was
no drawing back.
‘You know, Maria Nikolaevna,’ he began, ‘every man thinks the face of
his beloved better than all others; but my betrothed is really beautiful.’
‘Really? In what style? Italian? antique?’
‘Yes; she has very regular features.’
‘You have not got her portrait with you?’
‘No.’ (At that time photography was not yet talked off. Daguerrotypes
had hardly begun to be common.)
‘What’s her name?’
‘Her name is Gemma.’
‘And yours?’
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