between the grey trunks, keen slanting rays of the sun penetrated like golden spears, while dim lights quivered, glittering like silver, on the huge ferns that resembled the outstretched wings of an enormous bird; and bright yellow flames of the sulphur-like saxifrage shone along the edge of a bit of rock, which lay between the trees, like a little house with a garden of ferns and young beeches on its flat and slightly sloping roof. The air was fragrant with the scent of firs and the fresh smell of fungi.
I do not remember what the subject was on which I began to talk, but even if the theme had been interesting, I at any rate wasted my breath, for I noticed that Minna constantly stared at me with a peculiar, inattentive smile which had something almost teasing in it, and increased just like a spreading light.
"Why do you smile?" I asked, a little mortified. "Do you not think so?"
"What?"
"Oh—of course"
"I do not know. I have not heard anything. I have not the faintest idea what you have been speaking about, and I do not care about it at all"—(the words came hurriedly)—"but continue, please do. I am listening to your voice, to your voice alone. I have no mind to understand with; I look at your mouth and your profile. Do you know, Harald, you have a nice profile? And your mouth is so funny when you speak. Your lower lip protrudes—like this—with every pause. But it suits you, and the dimple in the chin gets deeper, and the nose bends right at the point, and that is the best of all. It is a Schiller nose, and you are an idealist like him—you are indeed, darling."
Quickly glancing ahead to see whether the children were out of sight she kissed me impetuously.
