The transition from despair to sadness, and from that to 'gentle resignation,' was accomplished fairly quickly in Frau Lenore; but that gentle resignation, too, was not slow in changing into a secret satisfaction, which was, however, concealed in every way and suppressed for the sake of appearances. Sanin had won Frau Lenore's heart from the first day of their acquaintance; as she got used to the idea of his being her son-in-law, she found nothing particularly distasteful in it, though she thought it her duty to preserve a somewhat hurt, or rather careworn, expression on her face. Besides, everything that had happened the last few days had been so extraordinary.... One thing upon the top of another. As a practical woman and a mother, Frau Lenore considered it her duty also to put Sanin through various questions; and Sanin, who, on setting out that morning to meet Gemma, had not a notion that he should marry her--it is true he did not think of anything at all at that time, but simply gave himself up to the current of his passion--Sanin entered, with perfect readiness, one might even say with zeal, into his part--the part of the betrothed lover, and answered all her inquiries circumstantially, exactly, with alacrity. When she had satisfied herself that he was a real nobleman by birth, and had even expressed some surprise that he was not a prince, Frau Lenore assumed a serious air and 'warned him betimes' that she should be quite unceremoniously frank with him, as she was forced to be so by her sacred duty as a mother! To which Sanin replied that he expected nothing else from her, and that he earnestly begged her not to spare him!
Then Frau Lenore observed that Herr Klüber--as she uttered the name, she sighed faintly, tightened her lips, and hesitated--Herr Klüber, Gemma's former betrothed, already possessed an income of eight thousand guldens, and that with every year this sum would rapidly be increased; and what was his, Herr Sanin's income? 'Eight thousand guldens,' Sanin repeated deliberately.... 'That's in our money ... about fifteen thousand roubles.... My income is much smaller. I have a small estate in the province of Tula.... With good management, it might yield--and, in fact, it could not fail to yield--five or six thousand ... and if I go into the government service, I can easily get a salary of two thousand a year.'
'Into the service in Russia?' cried Frau Lenore, 'Then I must part with Gemma!'
'One might be able to enter in the diplomatic service,' Sanin put in; 'I have some connections.... There one's duties lie abroad. Or else, this is what one might do, and that's much the best of all: sell my estate and employ the sum received for it in some profitable undertaking; for instance, the improvement of your shop.' Sanin was aware that he was saying something absurd, but he was possessed by an incomprehensible recklessness! He looked at Gemma, who, ever since the 'practical' conversation began, kept getting up, walking about the room, and sitting down again--he looked at her--and no obstacle existed for him, and he was ready to arrange everything at once in the best way, if only she were not troubled!