Part 19 (2/2)
”We ought to have a most promising time in front of us,” that old cynic replied, while he puffed rings of smoke. ”It all should be as full of adventure as an egg is full of meat!”
”I have been reading up the guide books, so as to be thoroughly learned and teach Jack--he is so terribly ignorant always, worse than Tom!” and she laughed.
”We must try and see the whole show, and if the snow lasts, as it promises to do, we should have a delightful time.”
”Gritzko,” Princess Ardacheff said. ”How many versts is it from Moscow to Milaslav?”
The Prince had been leaning on the mantlepiece without speaking for some moments, listening to Tamara's conversation, but now he joined in, and sinking into a chair beside her, answered from there.
”Thirty versts, Tantine--we shall go in troikas--but you must send your servants on the night before.”
Then he turned to Tamara, who seemed wonderfully absorbed, almost whispering to Stephen Strong. ”Did you sleep well, Madame?” he said.
There was an expression of mocking defiance in his glance, which angered Tamara. However, faithful to her resolutions, she kept herself calm.
”Never better, thank you, Prince. It was a most interesting evening, and I am learning the customs of the country,” she said. ”The thing which strikes me most is your wonderful chivalry to women--especially strange women.”
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 G.o.dmother, 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.
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