our hands, Tamara, your little charming white hands,
and allow me to press them auf mein Herz, upon my heart, and to kiss
you."

The kiss was so long, that Tamara with great difficulty and with
aversion barely freed herself from the embraces of Emma Edwardovna.

"Well, and now to business. And so, here are my terms: you will be
housekeeper, I give you fifteen percent, out of the clear gain. Mind
you, Tamara, fifteen percent. And, besides that, a small
salary--thirty, forty, well, if you like, fifty roubles a month.
Splendid terms--isn't that the truth? I am deeply convinced, that none
other than just you will help me to raise the house to a real height,
and make it the swellest not only in our city, but in all the south of
Russia as well. You have taste, and an understanding of things! ...
Besides that, you will always be able to entertain, and to stir up the
most exacting, the most unyielding guests. In rare instances, when a
very rich and distinguished gentleman--in Russian they call it one
"sun-fish," while with us, ein Freier,[26]--when he becomes infatuated
with you--for you are so handsome, Tamarochka," (the proprietress
looked at her with misty, humid eyes), "then I do not at all forbid you
to pass the time with him gaily; only to bear down always upon the fact
that you have no right, owing to your duty, your position, Und so
weiter, und so weiter ... aber sagen sie bitte, do you easily make
yourself understood in German?"

[26] In English, a "toff"; in American, a "swell."--trans.

"Die Deutsche Sprache beherrsche ich in geringerem Grade als die
franzosische; indes kann ich stets in einer Salon-Plauderei
mitmachen."[27]

[27] "My mastery of the German language is a trifle worse than that of
the French, but I can always keep up my end in parlor small talk."

"O, wunderbar! sie haben eine entzuckende Rigaer Aussprache, die beste
alter deutschen Aussprachen. Und also--fahren wir in unserer Sprache
fort. Sie klingt viel susser meinem Ohr, die Muttersprache. Schon?"[28]

[28] O, splendid! ... You have a bewitching Riga enunciation, the most
correct of all the German ones. And so, let us continue in my tongue.
That is far sweeter to my ear--my mother tongue. All right?"

"SCHON."[29]

[29] "All right."

"Zuletzt werden Sie nachgeben, dem Anschein nach ungern, unwillkurlich,
van der Laune des Augenblicks hingerissen--und, was die Hauptsache ist,
lautlos, heimlich vor mir. Sie verstehen? Dafu