His Hour

"I hated to hear what you told me," and Tamara looked down. "It seemed

so dreadful--so barbaric--and so childish for a man who really has a

brain. If you were just an animal person like some of the others are,

it would not have mattered; but you--please I would like you never to

do any of these mad things again--"

Then she stopped suddenly and grew tenderly pink. She realized the

inference he must read in her words.

He did not speak for a moment, only devoured her with his great

blue-gray eyes. Of what he was thinking she did not know. It made her

uncomfortable and a little ashamed. Why had she melted, it was never

any use. So she drew herself up stiffly and leaned back in her seat.

Then down at the side by the folds of her dress he caught her hand

while he said quite low: "Madame, I must know--do you mean that?"

"Yes," she said, and tried to take away her hand. "Yes, I mean that I

think it dreadful for any human being to throw things away--and Oh! I

would like you to be very great."

He did not let go her hand, indeed he held it the more tightly.

"You are a dear after all, and I will try," he said. "And when I have

pleased you you must give me a reward."

"Alas! What reward could I give you, Prince," she sighed.

"That I will tell you when the time comes."

Thus peace seemed to be restored, and soon the curtain fell for the

interval before the last act, and the Prince got up and went out of the

box.

He did not reappear again, but was waiting for them to start for his

house.

"I met Stephen Strong, Tantine," he said. "He left me at Trieste, you

know, and only arrived in Petersburg to-day. He has got a cousin with

him, Lord something, so I have asked them both to come along. They will

be a little late they said."

"It is not Jack Courtray by chance--is it?" Tamara asked, in an

interested voice, as they went. "Mr. Strong has a cousin who lives near

us in the country and he is always traveling about."

"Yes, I think that is the name--Courtray. So you know him then!" and

the Prince leant forward from the seat which faced them. "An ami

d'enfance?"

"We used to play cricket and fish and bird's-nest," she said. "Tom--my

brother Tom--was his fag at Eton--he is one of my oldest friends--dear

old Jack."