Seriozha did not answer but, growing redder and redder, racked his brains to think of something to say other than banalities.
Prince Kornakov seemed to be regarding the young man’s genuine embarrassment with great pleasure, but observing that his embarrassment was continuing, and despite the Countess’s social experience, was even beginning to affect her too, he said:
‘
‘
‘You will forgive me, my dear boy, for taking on myself the role of your interpreter,’ he added to Seriozha. Seriozha bowed. The Countess stood up and faced him, silently crooked her pretty arm and raised it to shoulder level, but just as Seriozha had put his arm round her the music stopped, and they stood there until the musicians, seeing the signs the Prince was making to them, again struck up the waltz. Seriozha would never forget those few seconds in which he twice took hold of and twice relinquished his lady’s waist.
Seriozha could not feel his feet gliding over the parquet: it seemed to him that he was being transported farther and farther away from the many-coloured crowd all around him. All his vital energies were concentrated in his sense of hearing, which made him obey the sounds of the music, now causing him to moderate the vigour of his movements, now to whirl round faster and faster as he felt the Countess’s waist conforming so wonderfully to his every movement that it seemed to be melting into him, becoming one with him; concentrated too in his gaze, which with an inexplicable blend of delight and dread rested at one moment on the Countess’s white shoulder, and at the next on her radiant blue eyes covered with the lightest film of moisture which lent them an indescribable expression of languor and passion.
‘Just look there, if you please – what could be finer than that young couple?’ said Prince Kornakov, turning to Seriozha’s cousin. ‘You know what a passion I have for bringing attractive young people together.’
‘Yes, now
‘And not only
‘You obviously want me to tell you that you are not yet “an old man”.’
‘Whatever can you take me for? I am well aware that I am not yet old: but I am something worse than that – I am bored, I am played out, just like all these gentlemen here, though they are utterly incapable of realizing it; but in the first place Seriozha is a novelty for me, and in the second place it seems to me that no woman could imagine or desire a better man than he is. Just look, what a delight to see!’ he went on, looking at them with a smile of satisfaction. ‘And how adorable she is! I really am quite in love with them both …’
‘I shall of course warn Liza at once.’ (Liza was the Countess’s name.)
‘No, I have of course long ago apologized to the Countess for not having fallen in love with her – and she knows that it is only because I am quite incapable of falling in love; but I am in love with them both – the pair of them.’
Prince Kornakov was not the only one to admire Seriozha and Countess Schöfing as they waltzed round the floor: all who were not dancing could not help following the couple with their eyes – some with pure delight at the sight of something lovely, others with envy and annoyance.
Seriozha was so deeply stirred by the combined impressions of dancing, music and love, that when Countess Schöfing asked him to escort her back to her seat, and having thanked him with a smile took her hand from his shoulder, he suddenly felt an almost irresistible desire to seize the opportunity of the moment, and to kiss her.
[V]
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VI
