This Month's Installment
As always, what's italicized is what I'm unsure about:"Down below in our mess it is more comfortable now," said the young second lieutenant, "we ask the lady and gentlemen to take part in our pared down evening snack, it has just been prepared."
When Hans went homewards with Nuscha on the fast pinnace, the touch of the rising night already lay on the water. The wind had
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died down, but the sky remained gray, cloudy, heavy with rain. Only on the horizon did it glow crimson in a strange contrast like a [lohendes] fire. Up to the shadows it dropt deeply and with its black wings covered even the thin, shaking streak of light. Over there lay the fleet. It was like looking at an illuminated city in the middle of the sea. Signals flew from one ship over to an-other, now and then a rocket crackled up to the night sky.
They had left the pinnace and walkt along the south promenade to their home. Contrary to her habit, Nuscha had remained silent a long time, only the image of the illuminated fleet had loosened her tongue. Now she spoke with shining enthusiasm about the experiences of the afternoon... but suddenly she stopt short, stared with large dull eyes at a lanky male figure that, looking around on all sides, slowly walkt right in front of them, murmured a few confused words of apology, and disappeared.
Hans had slept badly that night, all sorts of strange and oppressive dreams had plagued him. When he appeared for breakfast very late, the dining room was empty and the tables for the most part were already set for lunch. Outside there was an overcast sky again and a cold and damp air that pierced one to the heart.
When he stept into the social room, his first glance fell on Nuscha. She sat in the green=grey, fur-garnished jacket at a small table, busy with needlework. Across from her, leaning casually against the chimney, stood a lean, narrow-shouldered man in a black
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overcoat with very long coattails. His head was big and pointed, his face of yellowish color and very pale skin. Over his low forehead lay close-cropped hair with the same bluish shimmer as his thick handlebar moustache that covered the middle of his square chin.
The two appeared to be in the middle of an enthusiastic conversation. As he opened the door, he saw how the man talkt with a certain violence to Nuscha, who as far as she was concerned kept quiet and lookt at her needlework so untiringly that he didn't know whether she had noticed his entrance. He greeted her, she lookt up and reciprocated his greeting not unfriendly but with a formality that showed a clear restraint. Because she made no move to introduce him to the gentleman by the chimney, he didn't speak to her, as had been his intention at first, rather he went to one of the writing desks standing by the window in order to begin a letter to Fritz.
Grammatical Minutiae/Commentary
Of my dictionary's suggestions, "enthusiastic" was best word to translate "eifrigen," but it still doesn't quite fit the context.
Aside from that, there's not much to say this month. This is the end of chapter fourteen and the beginning of chapter fifteen.
