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Updated: June 19, 2025
Gemma put on a large straw hat with brown ribbons; the hat was bent down in front, so as to shade almost the whole of her face from the sun. The line of shadow stopped just at her lips; they wore a tender maiden flush, like the petals of a centifoil rose, and her teeth gleamed stealthily innocently too, as when children smile. Gemma sat facing the horses, with Sanin; Klueber and Emil sat opposite.
The officer must have been confused by this look; he muttered something unintelligible, bowed, and walked back to his friends. They greeted him with a laugh, and faint applause. Herr Klueber rose spasmodically from his seat, drew himself up to his full height, and putting on his hat pronounced with dignity, but not too loud, 'Unheard of! Unheard of!
Herr Klueber thanked him, and lifting his coat-tails, sat down on a chair; but he perched there so lightly and with such a transitory air that no one could fail to realise, 'this man is sitting down from politeness, and will fly up again in an instant. And he did in fact fly up again quickly, and advancing with two discreet little dance-steps, he announced that to his regret he was unable to stay any longer, as he had to hasten to his shop business before everything! but as the next day was Sunday, he had, with the consent of Frau Lenore and Fraeulein Gemma, arranged a holiday excursion to Soden, to which he had the honour of inviting the foreign gentleman, and he cherished the hope that he would not refuse to grace the party with his presence.
Yes, Sanin was a little conscience-smitten and ashamed ... though, on the other hand, what was there for him to have done? Could he have left the young officer's insolence unrebuked? could he have behaved like Herr Klueber? He had stood up for Gemma, he had championed her ... that was so; and yet, there was an uneasy pang in his heart, and he was conscience smitten, and even ashamed.
Herr Klueber added that he should esteem himself happy should he be able in return to do anything for the foreign gentleman. Sanin, with some difficulty, replied, also in German, that he was delighted ... that the service was not worth speaking of ... and he begged his guests to sit down.
Simply from the way in which her distress expressed itself, it could be seen that she had not been born under a northern sky. 'And how is Herr Klueber to look after his shop, if he is to fight with his customers? It's utterly inconsistent! And now I am to send him away! But what are we going to live on?
'Your mother, Sanin began, as soon as the sound of the heavy footsteps had ceased, 'told me your breaking off your engagement would cause a scandal' Gemma frowned a little that I was myself in part responsible for unpleasant gossip, and that ... consequently ... I was, to some extent, under an obligation to advise you not to break with your betrothed, Herr Klueber....
She said that after their conversation the day before yesterday, mamma had kept trying to get out of her something positive; but that she had put off Frau Lenore with a promise to tell her her decision within twenty-four hours; how she had demanded this limit of time for herself, and how difficult it had been to get it; how utterly unexpectedly Herr Klueber had made his appearance more starched and affected than ever; how he had given vent to his indignation at the childish, unpardonable action of the Russian stranger 'he meant your duel, Dimitri, which he described as deeply insulting to him, Klueber, and how he had demanded that 'you should be at once refused admittance to the house, Dimitri. 'For, he had added and here Gemma slightly mimicked his voice and manner "it casts a slur on my honour; as though I were not able to defend my betrothed, had I thought it necessary or advisable!
Then he began to dream that he was once more fighting a duel, that the antagonist standing facing him was Herr Klueber, and on a fir-tree was sitting a parrot, and this parrot was Pantaleone, and he kept tapping with his beak: one, one, one! 'One ... one ... one! he heard the tapping too distinctly; he opened his eyes, raised his head ... some one was knocking at his door.
'What did he say, the wretched creature? asked Sanin, and would have rushed after Klueber; but Gemma held him back and walked on with him, not taking away the arm she had slipped into his. The Rosellis' shop came into sight. Gemma stopped once more.
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