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'Mamma is very much distressed, Gemma began again, and her words flew very rapidly one after another; 'she refuses to take into consideration that I dislike Herr Klueber, that I never was betrothed to him from love, but only because of her urgent entreaties.... She suspects you, Dimitri; that's to say, to speak plainly, she's convinced I'm in love with you, and she is more unhappy about it because only the day before yesterday nothing of the sort had occurred to her, and she even begged you to advise me.... It was a strange request, wasn't it?
Pantaleone thought it better to shut the outer door of the shop, so that no stranger should come; luckily, it was still early. The old man himself did not know what to think, and in any case, did not approve of the haste with which Gemma and Sanin had acted; he could not bring himself to blame them, and was prepared to give them his support in case of need: he greatly disliked Klueber!
Herr Klueber proposed that the dinner should be served in a summer-house closed in on all sides 'im Gartensalon'; but at this point Gemma rebelled and declared that she would have dinner in the open air, in the garden, at one of the little tables set before the tavern; that she was tired of being all the while with the same faces, and she wanted to see fresh ones.
He controlled himself, however, and did no more than watch intently every movement of his noble Russian friend. The coachman had at last harnessed the horses; the whole party seated themselves in the carriage. Emil climbed on to the box, after Tartaglia; he was more comfortable there, and had not Klueber, whom he could hardly bear the sight of, sitting opposite to him.
Round the corner of a turning, a few paces from her, in a new hat and coat, straight as an arrow and curled like a poodle emerged Herr Klueber. He caught sight of Gemma, caught sight of Sanin, and with a sort of inward snort and a backward bend of his supple figure, he advanced with a dashing swing to meet them.
He expatiated with special warmth on the fact that his mother was set on making him a shopkeeper, while he knew, knew for certain, that he was born an artist, a musician, a singer; that Pantaleone even encouraged him, but that Herr Klueber supported mamma, over whom he had great influence; that the very idea of his being a shopkeeper really originated with Herr Klueber, who considered that nothing in the world could compare with trade!
During all these lucubrations, Gemma, who even while they were walking before dinner had not seemed quite pleased with Herr Klueber, and had therefore held rather aloof from Sanin, and had been, as it were, embarrassed by his presence Gemma was unmistakably ashamed of her betrothed!
Next day Sanin was still in bed when Emil, in his best clothes, with a cane in his hand and much pomade on his head, burst into his room, announcing that Herr Klueber would be here directly with the carriage, that the weather promised to be exquisite, that they had everything ready by now, but that mamma was not going, as her head was bad again.
Sanin in despair made inquiries about Herr Klueber. That name the hotel-keeper knew well, but there too no success awaited him. The elegant shop-manager, after making much noise in the world and rising to the position of a capitalist, had speculated, was made bankrupt, and died in prison.... This piece of news did not, however, occasion Sanin the slightest regret.
Sanin replied with a short bow, and hurriedly returned to his friends. Herr Klueber pretended he had not noticed either Sanin's absence nor his interview with the officers; he was urging on the coachman, who was putting in the horses, and was furiously angry at his deliberateness.
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