His Hour

So she leaned back in her chair and smiled, making a tantalizing moue

at him, while she said, mockingly: "Aren't you a barbarian, Prince! Only the days of Ivan the Terrible are

over, thank goodness!"

He took a chair and sat down quietly, but the tone of his voice should

have warned her as he said: "You are counting upon the unknown."

She peeped at him now through half-closed alluring lids, and she

noticed he was very pale.

In her quiet, well-ordered life she had never come in contact with real

passion. She had not the faintest idea of the vast depths she was

stirring. All she knew was she loved him very much, and the whole thing

galled her pride horribly. It seemed a satisfaction, a salve to her

wounded vanity, to be able to make him feel, to punish him a little for

all her pain.

"Think! This time next week. I shall be safe in peaceful England, where

we have not to combat the unknown."

"No?"

"No. Marraine and I have settled everything. I take the Wednesday's Nord

Express after we get back to Petersburg."

"And tomorrow is Friday, and there are yet five days. Well, we must

contrive to show you some more scenes of our uncivilized country, and

perhaps after all you won't go."

Tamara laughed with gay scorn. She put out her little foot and tapped

the edge of the great stove.

"For once I shall do as I please, Prince. I shall not ask your leave!"

His eyes seemed to gleam, and he lay perfectly still in his chair like

some panther watching its prey. Tamara's blood was up. She would not be

dominated! She continued mocking and defying him until she drove him

gradually mad.

But on one thing she had counted rightly, he could do nothing with them

all in the room.

First one and then another left their game, and joined them for a few

minutes, and then went back.

And so in this fashion the late afternoon passed and they went up to

dress.

No one was down in the great saloon when Tamara and the Princess

descended for dinner, but as they entered, Stephen Strong and Valonne

came in from the opposite door and joined them near the stove, and

Tamara and Valonne talked, while the other two wandered to a distant

couch.

"Have you ever been to any of these wonderful parties one hears have

taken place, Count Valonne?" she asked.

Valonne smiled his enigmatic smile. "Yes," he said. "I have once or

twice--perhaps you think this room shows traces of some rather violent

amusements, and really on looking round, I believe it does!"