'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 Klueber, beat a
hasty retreat. The time came for Sanin too to retire.

He began saying good-bye to Gemma. He recollected for some reason
Lensky's parting from Olga in _Oniegin_. He pressed her hand warmly,
and tried to get a look at her face, but she turned a little away and
released her fingers.




XX


It was bright starlight when he came out on the steps. What
multitudes of stars, big and little, yellow, red, blue and white were
scattered over the sky! They seemed all flashing, swarming, twinkling
unceasingly. There was no moon in the sky, but without it every object