Part 24 (2/2)

”Marry him,” and Tamara raised herself in bed. ”One might as well marry a panther in a jungle, it would be quite as safe!” she said.

But the Princess shook her head. ”There you are altogether wrong,” she replied. ”Once there were no continuous obstacles to his will, he would be gentle and adoring, he would be as tender and thoughtful as he is to me when I am ill.”

Then into Tamara's brain there rushed visions of the unutterable pleasure this tenderness would mean, and she said:

”Don't let us talk;--I want to sleep, Marraine.”

And in the morning they arrived at Moscow.

CHAPTER XVI

The whole day of the sight-seeing pa.s.sed with comparative smoothness, Tamara persistently remained with Sonia's husband or Stephen Strong, when any moment came that she should be alone with any man.

She was apparently indifferent to Gritzko,--considering that she was throbbing with interest in his every movement and inwardly longing to talk to him--she kept up the _role_ she had set herself to play very well. It was not an agreeable one, and but for the inward feverish excitement she would have suffered much pain.

Gritzko for his part seemed whimsically indifferent for most of the time, but once now and then the Princess, who watched things as the G.o.d in the car, experienced a sense of uneasiness. And yet she could not suggest any other line of conduct for Tamara to pursue. But on the whole the day was a success.

The two young English guests had both been extremely interested in what they saw. Stephen Strong was an old hand and knew it intimately, and the whole party was so merry and gay. The snow fortunately had held, and they rushed about in little sleighs seeing the quaint buildings and picturesque streets and the churches with their bright gilt domes.

Moscow was really Russian, Prince Solentzeff-Zasiekin told them, unlike Petersburg, which at a first glance might be Berlin or Vienna, or anywhere else; but Moscow is like no other city in the world.

”How extremely good you Russians must be,” Tamara said. ”The quant.i.ties of churches you have, and everywhere the people seem so devout. Look at them kissing that Ikon in the street! Such faith is beautiful to see.”

”Our faith is our safeguard,” her companion said. ”When the people become sufficiently educated to have doubts then, indeed, a sad day will come.”

”They have such grave patient faces, don't you think?” said Stephen Strong. ”It is not exactly a hopeless expression, it is more one of resignation. Whenever I come here I feel of what use is strife, and yet after a while they make one melancholy.”

They were waiting by the house of the Romanoffs, for their guide to open the door, and just then a batch of beggars pa.s.sed, their wild hair and terribly ragged sheepskins making them a queer gruesome sight. They craved alms with the same patient smile with which they thanked when money was given. Misery seemed to stalk about a good deal.

”How could a great family have lived in this tiny house?” Tamara asked.

”Really, people in olden times seem to have been able to double up anywhere. Pray look at this bedroom and this ridiculous bed!”

”It will prepare you for what you are coming to at Milaslav,” Gritzko said. ”A row of tent stretchers for everyone together in the hall!”

Tamara made no answer, she contrived to move on directly he spoke, and her reply now was to the general company, as it had been all day.

If she had looked back then she would have seen a gleam in his eyes which boded no peace. She thought she was doing everything for the best, but each rebuff was adding fuel to that wild fire in his blood.

By the end of the day, after walks through the Treasury and museums, and what not, and never having been able to speak to Tamara, his temper was at boiling point. But he controlled it, and his face wore a mask, which disarmed even the Princess' fears.

Their dinner was very gay, and the Russians asked Lord Courtray what had impressed him most.

”I like the story of Ivan the Terrible putting his jolly old alpenstock through the fellow's foot on the stairs when he came with the letter,”

Jack said. ”Sensible sort of thing to do. Kept the messenger in place.”

<script>