"You see, Gritzko is quite an exceptional person, he is no type of a Russian or any other nation that one can reckon with, he is himself, and he has the most attractive magnetic personality a man could have."
"Well, then?"
"And if you knew the simple unsophisticated atmosphere in which your G.o.dchild has been brought up----."
"Stephen, really,"--and the Princess tapped her foot impatiently.
"Please speak out. Say what you mean."
"She is no more fitted to cope with him than a baby, that is what I mean."
"But why should she cope with him? Are not men tiresome!" and the Princess sighed. "Can"t you see I want them to love one another. It is just that--if she would not snub and resist him--all would be well."
"It did not look much like resistance last night," said Stephen Strong.
"And if Gritzko is only playing the fool, and means nothing serious, then I think it is a shame."
"You don"t suggest, surely, that I should interfere with fate?"
"Only to the extent of not giving him unlimited opportunities. You remember that season in London--and your brother Alexis--and her mother, and what came of that!"
The Princess put her hands up with a sudden gesture and covered her eyes.
"Oh! Stephen! how cruel of you to bring it back to me," she said; "but this is quite different--they are free--and it is my dearest wish that Tamara and Gritzko should be united." Then she continued in another tone. "I think you are quite wrong in any case. My plan is to throw them together as much as possible--he will see her real worth and delicate sweetness--and they will get over their quarrelling. It is her reserve and resistance which drives him mad. Sometimes I do not know how he will act."
"No, one can never count upon how he will act!" and Stephen Strong smiled. "But since you are satisfied I will say no more, only between you don"t break my gentle little countrywoman"s heart."
"You hurt me very much, Stephen!" the Princess said. "You--you--of all people, who know the tie there is between Tamara and me. You to suggest even that I would aid in breaking her heart."
"Dear Vera, forgive me," and he kissed her plump white hand. "I will suggest nothing, and will leave it all to you, but do not forget a man"s pa.s.sions, and Gritzko, as we know, is not made of snow!"
"You all misjudge him, my poor Gritzko," the Princess said, hardly mollified. "He has the n.o.blest nature underneath, but some day you will know."
It was late in the afternoon when Tamara appeared, to find a room full of guests having tea. Her mind was made up, and she had regained her calm.
She would use the whole of her intelligence and play the game. She would be completely at ease and indifferent to Gritzko and would be incidentally as nice as possible to Jack. And so get through the short time before she must go home. "For," she had reasoned with herself sadly, "If he had loved me really he would never have behaved as he has done."
So when the Prince and Lord Courtray came in together presently, her greeting to both was naturalness itself, and she took Jack off to a distant sofa with friendly familiarity, and conversed with him upon their home affairs.
"By Jove! you know, Tamara, you are awfully improved, my child," Lord Courtray said, presently. "You"ve acquired some kind of a look in your eye! If I wasn"t so taken with that darling little Countess Olga I should feel inclined to make love to you myself."
"You dear silly old Jack!" Tamara said.
It was Lord Courtray"s fashion, when talking to any woman, even his own mother, to lean over her with rather a devoted look. And Tamara glancing up caught sight of Prince Milaslavski"s face. It wore an expression which almost filled her with fear. Of all things she must provoke no quarrel between him and dear old Jack, who was quite blameless in the affair.
At the same time there was a consolation in the knowledge that she could make him feel.
She thought it wiser soon to rise and return to the general group, while Jack, on his own amus.e.m.e.nt bent, now took his leave.
She sat down by Stephen Strong, she was in a most gracious mood it seemed.
"You have heard of our excursion to Moscow, Mr. Strong," she said. "The Princess says you must come too, I am looking forward to it immensely."
"We ought to have a most promising time in front of us," that old cynic replied, while he puffed rings of smoke. "It all should be as full of adventure as an egg is full of meat!"
"I have been reading up the guide books, so as to be thoroughly learned and teach Jack--he is so terribly ignorant always, worse than Tom!" and she laughed.
"We must try and see the whole show, and if the snow lasts, as it promises to do, we should have a delightful time."
"Gritzko," Princess Ardacheff said. "How many versts is it from Moscow to Milaslav?"
The Prince had been leaning on the mantlepiece without speaking for some moments, listening to Tamara"s conversation, but now he joined in, and sinking into a chair beside her, answered from there.
"Thirty versts, Tantine--we shall go in troikas--but you must send your servants on the night before."
Then he turned to Tamara, who seemed wonderfully absorbed, almost whispering to Stephen Strong. "Did you sleep well, Madame?" he said.
There was an expression of mocking defiance in his glance, which angered Tamara. However, faithful to her resolutions, she kept herself calm.
"Never better, thank you, Prince. It was a most interesting evening, and I am learning the customs of the country," she said. "The thing which strikes me most is your wonderful chivalry to women--especially strange women."
They looked into one another"s eyes and measured swords, and if she had known it she had never so deeply attracted him before.
She had broached the subject of her return to England to her G.o.dmother, who had laughed the idea to scorn, but now she spoke to Gritzko as if it were an established fact.
"I go home from Moscow, you know," she said.
"You find our country too cold?" he asked.
"It is too full of contrasts, freezing one moment and thawing the next, and while outside one is turned to ice, indoors one is consumed with heat; it is upsetting to the equilibrium."
"All the same, you will not go," and he leaned back in the chair with his provoking lazy smile.
"Indeed, I shall."
"We shall see. There are a number of things for you to learn yet."
"What things?"
The Prince lit a cigarette. "The possibilities of the unknown fires you have lit," he said. "You remember the night at the Sphinx, when we said good-bye. I told you a proverb they have there about meeting before dawn, and not parting until dawn. Well, that dawn has not arrived yet.
And I have no intention--for the moment--that it shall arrive."
Tamara felt excited, and as ever his tone of complete omnipotence annoyed her. At the same time to see him sitting there, his eyes fixed with deep interest on her face, thrilled and exalted her. Oh! she certainly loved him! Alas! and it would be dreadfully difficult to say good-bye. But those three words in his sentence stung her pride--"for the moment." Yes, there was always this hint of caprice. Always he gave her the sensation of instability, there was no way to hold him. She must ever guard her emotions and ever be ready to fence.
And now that she had taken a resolve to go home, to linger no more, she was free to tease him as much as she could. To feel that she could, gave her a fillip, and added a fresh charm to her face.
"You think you can rule the whole world to your will, Prince," she said.
"I can rule the part of it I want, as you will find," he retorted fiercely. She made a pouting moue and tapped her little foot, then she laughed.
"How amusing it would be if you happened to be mistaken this time," she cooed. Then she rapidly turned to the Princess Sonia, who had just come in, and they all talked of the great ball which was to take place in the house in a week. The first after the period of the deep mourning.