"What, in the theatre?" asked Delesof.
"Ah! I am not afraid of these stupid things. Ah! just wait a moment. As soon as everybody was gone, I went to that box where she had been sitting, and slept there. That was my only pleasure. How many nights I spent there! Only once again did I have that experience. At night many things seemed to come to me. But I cannot tell you much about them." Albert contracted his brows, and looked at Delesof. "What did it mean?" he asked.
"It was strange," replied the other.
"No, wait, wait!" he bent over to his ear, and said in a whisper,—
"I kissed her hand, wept there before her, and said many things to her. I heard the fragrance of her sighs, I heard her voice. She said many things to me that one night. Then I took my violin, and began to play softly. And I played beautifully. But it became terrible to me. I am not afraid of such stupid things, and I don't believe in them, but my head felt terribly," he said, smiling sweetly, and moving his hand over his forehead. "It seemed terrible to me on account of my poor mind; something happened in my head. Maybe it was nothing; what do you think?"
Neither spoke for several minutes.
"Und wenn die Wolken sie verhüllen,
Die Sonne bleibt doch ewig klar.[54]"
hummed Albert, smiling gently. "That is true, isn't it?" he asked.
"Ich auch habe gelebt und genossen."[55]
"Ah, old man Petrof! how this would have made things clear to you!"