His Hour

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 godmother,

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.