His Hour

During most of the time he sat behind the Princess, and whispered

whatever conversation he had in her ear; but every now and then he

would move to Princess Sonia or Countess Olga, and lastly subsided

close to Tamara, and bending over leaned on the back of her chair.

He did not speak, but his close proximity caused her to experience the

exquisite physical thrill she feared and dreaded. When her heart beat

like that, and her body tingled with sensation, it was almost

impossible to keep her head.

His fierceness frightened her, but when he was gentle, she knew she

melted at once, and only longed to be in his arms. So she drew herself

up and shrank forward away from him, and began an excited conversation

with Stephen Strong.

Gritzko got up abruptly and strode back to the Princess. And soon

tables and supper were brought in, and there was a general move.

Tamara contrived to outwit him once more when he came up to speak. It

was the only way, she felt. No half-measures would do now. She loved

him too much to be able to unbend an inch with safety. Otherwise it

would be all over with her, and she could not resist.

They had been standing alone for an instant, and he said, looking

passionately into her eyes: "Tamara, do you know you are driving me crazy--do you think it wise?"

"I really don't care whether my conduct is wise or not, Prince," she

replied. "As I told you, tonight, and from now onward, I shall do as I

please." And she gathered all her forces together to put an indifferent

look on her face.

"So be it then," he said, and turned instantly away, and for the rest

of the time never addressed her again.

The long drive in the cold had made every one sleepy, and contrary to

their usual custom, they were all ready for bed soon after one o'clock,

and to their great surprise Gritzko made no protest, but let the

ladies quietly go.

Tamara's last thoughts before she closed her weary eyes were, what a

failure it all had been! She had succeeded in nothing. She loved him

madly, and she was going back home. And if she had made him suffer, it

was no consolation! She would much rather have been happy in his arms!

Meanwhile, Gritzko had summoned Ivan, his major domo, and the substance

of his orders to that humble slave was this. That early on the morrow

the stove was to be lit in the hut by the lake, where at the time when

the woodcock came in quantities he sometimes spent the night waiting

for the dawn.