Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part I - I
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As I stood listening to the sound echoing through the
house, I had a feeling that my father would presently
come and open the door to me. But a servant appeared
and disappeared again to announce me. A few seconds
afterwards I stood face to face with the Baron, who gave
me a hearty welcome. He was a man of about thirty
years of age, tall and strong, with a noble carriage and
the perfect manners of a gentleman. His full, slightly
swollen face was animated by a pair of intensely sad blue
eyes. The smile on his lips was for ever giving way to
an expression of extraordinary bitterness, which spoke of
disappointments, plans miscarried, illusions fled.
The drawing-room, once upon a time our dining-room,
was not furnished in any particular style. The Baron,
who bore the name of a famous general, a Turenne or
Condé of our country, had filled it with the portraits of
his ancestors, dating back to the Thirty Years’ War;
heroes in white cuirasses with wigs of the time of Louis
XIV. Amongst them hung landscapes of the Düsseldorf
school of painting. Pieces of old furniture, restored and
gilded, stood side by side with chairs and easy-chairs of
a more modern date. The whole room seemed to breathe
an atmosphere of peace and domestic love.
Presently the Baroness joined us; she was charming,
almost cordial, simple and kind. But there was a certain
stiffness in her manner, a suspicion of embarrassment
which chilled me until I discovered a reason for it in the
sound of voices which came from an adjacent room. I
concluded that she had other visitors, and apologised for
having called at an inconvenient time. They were playing
whist in the next room, and I was forthwith introduced
to four members of the family: the gentleman-in-waiting,
a retired captain, and the Baroness’s mother and aunt.
As soon as the old people had sat down again to play,
we younger ones began to talk. The Baron mentioned
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