His Hour

"We met in the hall--my friend Marie and I," he said, as he bent to

kiss Princess Sonia's hand, and then the other two ladies', "and we

have a great deal to say to one another."

"These are my children, Mrs. Loraine," Princess Sonia said. "They were

coming down to see you; but now Gritzko has appeared we shall receive

no attention, I fear," and she laughed happily, while the little boy

came forward, and with beautiful manners kissed Tamara's hand.

"You are an English lady," he said, without the slightest accent. "Have

you a little boy, too?"

Tamara was obliged to own she had no children, which he seemed to think

very unfortunate.

"Marie always has to have her own way, but while she is with Gritzko

she is generally good," he announced.

"How splendidly you speak English!" Tamara said. "And only eight years

old! I suppose you can talk French, too, as well as Russian?"

"Naturally, of course," he replied, with fine contempt. "But I'll tell

you something--German I do very badly. We have a German governess, and

I hate her. Her mouth is too full of teeth."

"That certainly is a disadvantage," Tamara agreed.

"When Gritzko gets up with us he makes her in a fine rage! She

spluttered so at him last week the bottom row fell out. We were glad!"

Princess Sonia now interrupted: "What are you saying, Peter?" she

said. "Poor Fräulein! You know I shall have to forbid Gritzko from

going to tea with you. You are all so naughty when you get together!"

There was at once a fierce scream from the other side of the room.

"Maman! we will have Gritzko to tea! I love him!--Je l'aime!" and the

poor crippled tiny Marie nearly strangled her friend with a frantic

embrace.

"You see, Maman, we defy you!" the Prince said, when he could speak.

The little boy now joined his sister, and both soon shrieked with

laughter over some impossible tale which was being poured into their

ears; and Princess Sonia said softly to Tamara: "He is too wonderful with children--Gritzko--when he happens to like

them--isn't he, Olga? All of ours simply adore him, and I can never

tell you of his goodness and gentleness to Marie last year when she had

her dreadful accident. The poor little one will be well some day, we

hope, and so I do not allow myself to be sad about it; but it was a

terrible grief."