1. The room that Stefan had rented was kept in great secrecy.

Neither the family, nor Ioana, nor

his friends knew about it. Stefan had told her about a secret/hidden house/place before the
marriage/ before they got married. Ioana didn’t understand/ was unable to understand why he felt
the need to rent a room in a modest hotel and in a remote neighborhood, in which she didn’t have
access/ where she couldn’t enter. But she didn’t have the courage to deny him this
fantasy/dream/wish.
“And still, she continued/ went on, I’ve figured out for a long time what you were doing there, in
your secret room/ chamber…Obviously, I shouldn’t have told you. But, in the end, you think of
me as being too naïve/gullible/ you deem me as being too naïve/gullible. I’ve figured you out for
a long time, since you came home in that evening with your hands smelling like turpentine. You
have, over there, a laboratory. “
“When we will have a baby, Ioana had said once, I will tell him about what I see in BlueBeard’s
room, and I will allow you/give you permission to listen to me. You think that I lack
imagination. So much the better; you will also be amazed, then, by what I know/ by my
knowledge, by what I knew since the first day when you told me about the secret room/chamber.

2. He then remembered/ recalled one of Ileana’s gestures/ movements that he hadn’t immediately
noticed/ observed: she would sometimes rest her cheek on her clenched fist, tilting her head
slightly. It was a schoolgirl gesture/movement, and Stefan was wondering for how long she had
been wearing it like this, in the world. He would probably find her again like this, at the window
of the train wagon, looking/staring straight ahead, waiting for him. But Stefan found out that the
fast train/ express train for Moldova had left two hours ago. There still was a slow train leaving
towards midnight. At 23:45 more precisely, he had been told at the counter. He realized then that
he had been rushing in vain and he felt silly/ ridiculous. There was no doubt that Ileana had left
for the estate a long time ago. Longer ago, meaning a week ago, a month ago, even. It was hard
to believe that she would have remained in Bucharest until the end of august…When he felt
silly/ridiculous, he would try not to think about anything. He shook off his gloves one more time
and, wrapping them up, he placed them in the pocket of his coat. One hundred lei, he
remembered. The chauffeur/driver said that he came back from Bratianu’s statue in order to
bring them to him. I think we will have a baby! He suddenly made haste/ quickened his pace.
Crossing the Dinicu Golescu Boulevard, a shout from behind was heard, and he turned his head
back, surprised. It was Biris.

3. These are the words of St Pavel, Stefan suddenly recalled/remembered, and he became
confused/ dazzled. This is how he should have answered to Ileana: “This secret/mystery is
big…” This is what he should have told her then, before he shook her hand and resumed his
chase through the rain.
He saw her by chance/ by accident, by the window of the tram, in a rainy afternoon, at the end of
October. She wore a short raincoat, fastened at the middle with a girdle/ belt, and she was
sheltered under a huge black umbrella. She should have seemed/ looked ridiculous/silly, but she
just seemed/ looked eccentric. Stefan got off at the first station, rolled up the collar of his
Inverness, and started to run with huge steps on the boulevard, looking for her. The rain was
getting heavier. When he caught up with her, in front of the shop window/display window of a
jewelry store, he was soaking wet. He immediately got under the umbrella and grabbed her arm/
got hold of her arm.” I’ve been looking for you for so long”, he told her. Ileana looked at him
with a feigned indifference.
“From where have you bought this umbrella?” Stefan asked her.
“It’s not mine. It’s aunt Alice’s/ madam Alice’s”