'One ... one ... one!' he heard the tapping too distinctly; he openedhis eyes, raised his head ... some one was knocking at his door.
'Come in!' called Sanin.
The waiter came in and answered that a lady very particularly wishedto see him.
'Gemma!' flashed into his head ... but the lady turned out to be hermother, Frau Lenore.
Directly she came in, she dropped at once into a chair and began tocry.
'What is the matter, my dear, good Madame Roselli?' began Sanin,sitting beside her and softly touching her hand. 'What has happened?calm yourself, I entreat you.'
'Ah, Herr Dimitri, I am very ... very miserable!'
'You are miserable?'
'Ah, very! Could I have foreseen such a thing? All of a sudden, likethunder from a clear sky ...'
She caught her breath.
'But what is it? Explain! Would you like a glass of water?'
'No, thank you.' Frau Lenore wiped her eyes with her handkerchief andbegan to cry with renewed energy. 'I know all, you see! All!'
'All? that is to say?'
'Everything that took place to-day! And the cause ... I know that too!You acted like an honourable man; but what an unfortunate combinationof circumstances! I was quite right in not liking that excursion toSoden ... quite right!' (Frau Lenore had said nothing of the sorton the day of the excursion, but she was convinced now that she hadforeseen 'all' even then.) 'I have come to you as to an honourableman, as to a friend, though I only saw you for the first time fivedays ago.... But you know I am a widow, a lonely woman.... Mydaughter ...'
Tears choked Frau Lenore's voice. Sanin did not know what to think.'Your daughter?' he repeated.
'My daughter, Gemma,' broke almost with a groan from Frau Lenore,behind the tear-soaked handkerchief, 'informed me to-day that shewould not marry Herr Klueber, and that I must refuse him!'
Sanin positively started back a little; he had not expected that.
'I won't say anything now,' Frau Lenore went on, 'of the disgraceof it, of its being something unheard of in the world for a girl tojilt her betrothed; but you see it's ruin for us, Herr Dimitri!' FrauLenore slowly and carefully twisted up her handkerchief in a tiny,tiny little ball, as though she would enclose all her grief within it.'We can't go on living on the takings of our shop, Herr Dimitri! andHerr Klueber is very rich, and will be richer still. And what is he tobe refused for? Because he did not defend his betrothed? Allowing thatwas not very handsome on his part, still, he's a civilian, has not hada university education, and as a solid business man, it was for himto look with contempt on the frivolous prank of some unknown littleofficer. And what sort of insult was it, after all, Herr Dimitri?'
'Excuse me, Frau Lenore, you seem to be blaming me.'
'I am not blaming you in the least, not in the least! You're quiteanother matter; you are, like all Russians, a military man ...'
'Excuse me, I'm not at all ...'
'You're a foreigner, a visitor, and I'm grateful to you,' Frau Lenorewent on, not heeding Sanin. She sighed, waved her hands, unwound herhandkerchief again, and blew her nose. Simply from the way in whichher distress expressed itself, it could be seen that she had not beenborn under a northern sky.
'And how is Herr Klueber to look after his shop, if he is to fightwith his customers? It's utterly inconsistent! And now I am to sendhim away! But what are we going to live on? At one time we were theonly people that made angel cakes, and nougat of pistachio nuts, andwe had plenty of customers; but now all the shops make angel cakes!Only consider; even without this, they'll talk in the town about yourduel ... it's impossible to keep it secret. And all of a sudden, themarriage broken off! It will be a scandal, a scandal! Gemma is asplendid girl, she loves me; but she's an obstinate republican, shedoesn't care for the opinion of others. You're the only person thatcan persuade her!'
Sanin was more amazed than ever. 'I, Frau Lenore?'
'Yes, you alone ... you alone. That's why I have come to you; I couldnot think of anything else to do! You are so clever, so good! Youhave fought in her defence. She will trust you! She is bound to trustyou--why, you have risked your life on her account! You will make herunderstand, for I can do nothing more; you make her understand thatshe will bring ruin on herself and all of us. You saved my son--savemy daughter too! God Himself sent you here ... I am ready on my kneesto beseech you....' And Frau Lenore half rose from her seat as thoughabout to fall at Sanin's feet.... He restrained her.
'Frau Lenore! For mercy's sake! What are you doing?'
She clutched his hand impulsively. 'You promise ...'
'Frau Lenore, think a moment; what right have I ...'
'You promise? You don't want me to die here at once before your eyes?'
Sanin was utterly nonplussed. It was the first time in his life he hadhad to deal with any one of ardent Italian blood.
'I will do whatever you like,' he cried. 'I will talk to FraeuleinGemma....'
Frau Lenore uttered a cry of delight.
'Only I really can't say what result will come of it ...'
'Ah, don't go back, don't go back from your words!' cried Frau Lenorein an imploring voice; 'you have already consented! The result iscertain to be excellent. Any way, _I_ can do nothing more! She won'tlisten to _me_!'
'Has she so positively stated her disinclination to marry HerrKlueber?' Sanin inquired after a short silence.
'As if she'd cut the knot with a knife! She's her father all over,Giovanni Battista! Wilful girl!'
'Wilful? Is she!' ... Sanin said slowly. 'Yes ... yes ... but she'san angel too. She will mind you. Are you coming soon? Oh, my dearRussian friend!' Frau Lenore rose impulsively from her chair, and asimpulsively clasped the head of Sanin, who was sitting opposite her.'Accept a mother's blessing--and give me some water!'
Sanin brought Signora Roselli a glass of water, gave her his word ofhonour that he would come directly, escorted her down the stairs tothe street, and when he was back in his own room, positively threw uphis arms and opened his eyes wide in his amazement.
'Well,' he thought, 'well, _now_ life is going round in a whirl! Andit's whirling so that I'm giddy.' He did not attempt to look within,to realise what was going on in himself: it was all uproar andconfusion, and that was all he knew! What a day it had been! His lipsmurmured unconsciously: 'Wilful ... her mother says ... and I have gotto advise her ... her! And advise her what?'
Sanin, really, was giddy, and above all this whirl of shiftingsensations and impressions and unfinished thoughts, there floatedcontinually the image of Gemma, the image so ineffaceably impressed onhis memory on that hot night, quivering with electricity, in that darkwindow, in the light of the swarming stars!
XXIV
With hesitating footsteps Sanin approached the house of SignoraRoselli. His heart was beating violently; he distinctly felt, and evenheard it thumping at his side. What should he say to Gemma, how shouldhe begin? He went into the house, not through the shop, but by theback entrance. In the little outer room he met Frau Lenore. She wasboth relieved and scared at the sight of him.
'I have been expecting you,' she said in a whisper, squeezing his handwith each of hers in turn. 'Go into the garden; she is there. Mind, Irely on you!'
Sanin went into the garden.
Gemma was sitting on a garden-seat near the path, she was sorting abig basket full of cherries, picking out the ripest, and putting themon a dish. The sun was low--it was seven o'clock in the evening--andthere was more purple than gold in the full slanting light with whichit flooded the whole of Signora Roselli's little garden. From timeto time, faintly audibly, and as it were deliberately, the leavesrustled, and belated bees buzzed abruptly as they flew from oneflower to the next, and somewhere a dove was cooing a never-changing,unceasing note. Gemma had on the same round hat in which she haddriven to Soden. She peeped at Sanin from under its turned-down brim,and again bent over the basket.
Sanin went up to Gemma, unconsciously making each step shorter, and... and ... and nothing better c
ould he find to say to her than to askwhy was she sorting the cherries.
Gemma was in no haste to reply.
'These are riper,' she observed at last, 'they will go into jam, andthose are for tarts. You know the round sweet tarts we sell?'
As she said those words, Gemma bent her head still lower, and herright hand with two cherries in her fingers was suspended in the airbetween the basket and the dish.
'May I sit by you?' asked Sanin.
'Yes.' Gemma moved a little along on the seat. Sanin placed himselfbeside her. 'How am I to begin?' was his thought. But Gemma got himout of his difficulty.
'You have fought a duel to-day,' she began eagerly, and she turnedall her lovely, bashfully flushing face to him--and what depths ofgratitude were shining in those eyes! 'And you are so calm! I supposefor you danger does not exist?'
'Oh, come! I have not been exposed to any danger. Everything went offvery satisfactorily and inoffensively.'
Gemma passed her finger to right and to left before her eyes ... Alsoan Italian gesture. 'No! no! don't say that! You won't deceive me!Pantaleone has told me everything!'
'He's a trustworthy witness! Did he compare me to the statue of thecommander?'
'His expressions may be ridiculous, but his feeling is not ridiculous,nor is what you have done to-day. And all that on my account ... forme ... I shall never forget it.'
'I assure you, Fraeulein Gemma ...'
'I shall never forget it,' she said deliberately; once more she lookedintently at him, and turned away.
He could now see her delicate pure profile, and it seemed to him thathe had never seen anything like it, and had never known anything likewhat he was feeling at that instant. His soul was on fire.
'And my promise!' flashed in among his thoughts.
'Fraeulein Gemma ...' he began after a momentary hesitation.
'What?'
She did not turn to him, she went on sorting the cherries, carefullytaking them by their stalks with her finger-tips, assiduously pickingout the leaves.... But what a confiding caress could be heard in thatone word,
'What?'
'Has your mother said nothing to you ... about ...'
'About?'
'About me?'
Gemma suddenly flung back into the basket the cherries she had taken.
'Has she been talking to you?' she asked in her turn.
'Yes.'
'What has she been saying to you?'
'She told me that you ... that you have suddenly decided to change... your former intention.' Gemma's head was bent again. She vanishedaltogether under her hat; nothing could be seen but her neck, suppleand tender as the stalk of a big flower.
'What intentions?'
'Your intentions ... relative to ... the future arrangement of yourlife.'
'That is ... you are speaking ... of Herr Klueber?'
'Yes.'
'Mamma told you I don't want to be Herr Klueber's wife?'
'Yes.'
Gemma moved forward on the seat. The basket tottered, fell ... a fewcherries rolled on to the path. A minute passed by ... another.
'Why did she tell you so?' he heard her voice saying. Sanin as beforecould only see Gemma's neck. Her bosom rose and fell more rapidly thanbefore.
'Why? Your mother thought that as you and I, in a short time, havebecome, so to say, friends, and you have some confidence in me, I amin a position to give you good advice--and you would mind what I say.'
Gemma's hands slowly slid on to her knees. She began plucking at thefolds of her dress.
'What advice will you give me, Monsieur Dimitri?' she asked, after ashort pause.
Sanin saw that Gemma's fingers were trembling on her knees.... She wasonly plucking at the folds of her dress to hide their trembling. Hesoftly laid his hand on those pale, shaking fingers.
'Gemma,' he said, 'why don't you look at me?' She instantly tossed herhat back on to her shoulder, and bent her eyes upon him, confiding andgrateful as before. She waited for him to speak.... But the sight ofher face had bewildered, and, as it were, dazed him. The warm glow ofthe evening sun lighted up her youthful head, and the expression ofthat head was brighter, more radiant than its glow.
'I will mind what you say, Monsieur Dimitri,' she said, faintlysmiling, and faintly arching her brows; 'but what advice do you giveme?'
'What advice?' repeated Sanin. 'Well, you see, your mother considersthat to dismiss Herr Klueber simply because he did not show any specialcourage the day before yesterday ...'
'Simply because?' said Gemma. She bent down, picked up the basket, andset it beside her on the garden seat.
'That ... altogether ... to dismiss him, would be, on your part... unreasonable; that it is a step, all the consequences of whichought to be thoroughly weighed; that in fact the very position ofyour affairs imposes certain obligations on every member of yourfamily ...'
'All that is mamma's opinion,' Gemma interposed; 'those are her words;but what is your opinion?'
'Mine?' Sanin was silent for a while. He felt a lump rising in histhroat and catching at his breath. 'I too consider,' he began with aneffort ...
Gemma drew herself up. 'Too? You too?'
'Yes ... that is ...' Sanin was unable, positively unable to add asingle word more.
'Very well,' said Gemma. 'If you, as a friend, advise me to change mydecision--that is, not to change my former decision--I will think itover.' Not knowing what she was doing, she began to tip the cherriesback from the plate into the basket.... 'Mamma hopes that I will mindwhat you say. Well ... perhaps I really will mind what you say.'
'But excuse me, Fraeulein Gemma, I should like first to know whatreason impelled you ...'
'I will mind what you say,' Gemma repeated, her face right up to herbrows was working, her cheeks were white, she was biting her lowerlip. 'You have done so much for me, that I am bound to do as you wish;bound to carry out your wishes. I will tell mamma ... I will thinkagain. Here she is, by the way, coming here.'
Frau Lenore did in fact appear in the doorway leading from the houseto the garden. She was in an agony of impatience; she could notkeep still. According to her calculations, Sanin must long ago havefinished all he had to say to Gemma, though his conversation with herhad not lasted a quarter of an hour.
'No, no, no, for God's sake, don't tell her anything yet,' Saninarticulated hurriedly, almost in alarm. 'Wait a little ... I will tellyou, I will write to you ... and till then don't decide on anything... wait!'
He pressed Gemma's hand, jumped up from the seat, and to Frau Lenore'sgreat amazement, rushed past her, and raising his hat, mutteredsomething unintelligible--and vanished.
She went up to her daughter.
'Tell me, please, Gemma...'
The latter suddenly got up and hugged her. 'Dear mamma, can you wait alittle, a tiny bit ... till to-morrow? Can you? And till to-morrow nota word?... Ah!...'
She burst into sudden happy tears, incomprehensible to herself. Thissurprised Frau Lenore, the more as the expression of Gemma's face wasfar from sorrowful,--rather joyful in fact.
'What is it?' she asked. 'You never cry and here, all at once ...'
'Nothing, mamma, never mind! you only wait. We must both wait alittle. Don't ask me anything till to-morrow--and let us sort thecherries before the sun has set.'
'But you will be reasonable?'
'Oh, I'm very reasonable!' Gemma shook her head significantly. Shebegan to make up little bunches of cherries, holding them high aboveher flushed face. She did not wipe away her tears; they had dried ofthemselves.
XXV
Almost running, Sanin returned to his hotel room. He felt, he knewthat only there, only by himself, would it be clear to him at lastwhat was the matter, what was happening to him. And so it was;directly he had got inside his room, directly he had sat down to thewriting-table, with both elbows on the table and both hands pressed tohis face, he cried in a sad and choked voice, 'I love her, love hermadly!' and he was all aglow within, like a fire when a thick layerof
dead ash has been suddenly blown off. An instant more ... and hewas utterly unable to understand how he could have sat beside her... her!--and talked to her and not have felt that he worshipped thevery hem of her garment, that he was ready as young people expressit 'to die at her feet.' The last interview in the garden had decidedeverything. Now when he thought of her, she did not appear to him withblazing curls in the shining starlight; he saw her sitting on thegarden-seat, saw her all at once tossing back her hat, and gazing athim so confidingly ... and the tremor and hunger of love ran throughall his veins. He remembered the rose which he had been carrying aboutin his pocket for three days: he snatched it out, and pressed it withsuch feverish violence to his lips, that he could not help frowningwith the pain. Now he considered nothing, reflected on nothing, didnot deliberate, and did not look forward; he had done with all hispast, he leaped forward into the future; from the dreary bank of hislonely bachelor life he plunged headlong into that glad, seething,mighty torrent--and little he cared, little he wished to know, whereit would carry him, or whether it would dash him against a rock! Nomore the soft-flowing currents of the Uhland song, which had lulledhim not long ago ... These were mighty, irresistible torrents! Theyrush flying onwards and he flies with them....
He took a sheet of paper, and without blotting out a word, almost withone sweep of the pen, wrote as follows:--
'DEAR GEMMA,--You know what advice I undertook to give you, what yourmother desired, and what she asked of me; but what you don't know andwhat I must tell you now is, that I love you, love you with all theardour of a heart that loves for the first time! This passion hasflamed up in me suddenly, but with such force that I can find no wordsfor it! When your mother came to me and asked me, it was still onlysmouldering in me, or else I should certainly, as an honest man, haverefused to carry out her request.... The confession I make you now isthe confession of an honest man. You ought to know whom you have to dowith--between us there should exist no misunderstandings. You see thatI cannot give you any advice.... I love you, love you, love you--and Ihave nothing else--either in my head or in my heart!!