But I was conscious of a subtle change in the character of my feelings
towards Zara de Echeveria. The fascination that had enthralled me a
little while back, was tempered now by a wholesome dread of this
riotously beautiful creature who could use her God-given feminine
attributes to attain such deplorable ends. What had seemed to me to be
a creature of utter loveliness, had now degenerated to a thing that was
momentarily horrible, because what I had believed to be all purity, and
all perfection, had suddenly been revealed as something that was akin
to unmoral.
We parted at the door, she to cross the room and join a group of her
guests who were clamoring for her while I loitered, with no purpose
save to avoid comment on the apparent fact that the princess and I had
been so long a time together in the garden. The prince joined me while
I stood there. He was accompanied by a man whom he wished to introduce
to me.
"Ah, Dubravnik," he said. "I have been looking everywhere for you.
Didn't know but you had gone. This is my friend Alexis Durnief. You've
each heard me talk about the other, so you should be good friends."
"Captain Alexis Durnief?" I asked, shaking hands with him.
"The same," he replied. "Just returned from one of the far posts in
Siberia, and I am very glad to be back here again. I haven't had an
opportunity to greet the princess yet; you kept her in the garden so
long."
I thought that he gave me a significant glance as he made the laughing
remark, but as the princess herself joined us at that moment, I did not
give it a second thought. He gave her his arm, and they went away
together, leaving the prince and myself alone.
"I think, if you do not mind, I will go," I said. The house of Princess
Zara had suddenly become hateful to me."
"What! At this hour? Why?" Prince Michael was amazed.
"Oh, there is no reason, other than that I feel like it," I told him,
shrugging my shoulders and trying to look bored.
"Then stay. Some of the best people are not here, yet. Or did your half
hour in the garden upset you, Dubravnik?" He essayed a light laughter
as he asked the question, but it had a hollow sound, nevertheless.
"Not at all," I assured him.
"I can assure you that it is an honor which the princess confers upon
very few of her friends, and never on new acquaintances. You are the
only exception I have ever known," he added.
"Indeed? We met in the garden by accident, and in reality were together
not more than two minutes--the time that it takes to walk the length of
it, so I do not feel as greatly honored as I might have done if she had
gone there with me and had given me all that time----"