The concert organized by Isaac, Anastasia and Clara takes
place as planned.
Isaac gives Clara Reinhart's diabolic score as a gift for her
admittance to the Vienna Academy of Music.
Anastasia gives Klaus' Stradivari to Isaac and she takes leave of
him. She confesses to the police her allegiance with Russian
revolutionary party and she is extradited to Russia.
Roberta is thus acquitted from her charges but she is confined to
a very strict institute for unwed mothers. Exhausted, she escapes
and she is succoured by Katharine, but she loses her baby.
Anton, Ingrid's former lover, kidnaps Kieth, the son of Ingrid
and her husband Thomas. This dramatic event makes Malvida reflect
about her relationship with Moritz and she decides to leave him
because she doesn't want to see other families ruined by
extra–conjugal affairs. The arrival of Bettina, Moritz's dutiful
wife, makes all more simple: Moritz goes back to Regensburg with
Bettina and Malvida remains alone, crying. After a while she
helpfully meets Franz by chance and discovers that his betrothal
was but a fake: so they're free to start a new life
together.
Isaac decides to marry Roberta for gratitude in spite of Davidt's
objection and the reprobation of the high society. From the very
first moment their marriage seems born under an evil star: their
education is too different and Roberta's past as a prostitute
with vulgar habits soon comes to light. She continues to frequent
her old colleagues, makes fuss with them in the street, throws
away some of Isaac's books "because they're old" and she takes to
gambling. Once Roberta even offers as payment for game's debts a
piano interpretation by his husband, with great scandal.
Anyway, in the midst of other contrasts between them, time
passes, and we get to the outbreak of World War I.
On June 28, 1914, the archduke Franz Ferdinand and the duchess
Sophia are assassinated in Sarajevo, and in 1917 also Isaac has
to go to the war. When he comes back home at the end of the war
he has still to face the hardest trial: his fingers, severely
strained by the excessive exercise, don't move anymore. He is
unable to play the piano again! Although Professor Schönberg
offers him to stay in the Academy teaching music, Isaac quits the
Academy and begins to get into debts. Trying to get some money,
Roberta has some of Isaac's concerts published by an unknown
publisher, while Isaac had already signed a contract with a
famous publishing house. As a consequence, Isaac's contract gets
broken and he has even to pay the penalty clause. Furious, Isaac
throws Roberta out of their house: he doesn't know that Roberta
is pregnant with his child.
Isaac will visit Roberta again only for the birth of their son,
Jubel (Jubilation): a few hours after his birth Roberta dies,
leaving Isaac alone with his sorrow and regret. Isaac goes back
to Regensburg and he meets Julius in the street, some 15 years
after the last time he saw her.
Characters appearing in chapter 10:
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