Part 33 (2/2)

”Answer for yourself please, I may have several other reasons,” he said coldly, and got up and walked across the room picking up a bibelot here and there, and replacing it restlessly.

Tamara longed to ask him what these reasons were. She was stirred with a faint hope, but she had not the courage, the intensity of her feeling made her dumb.

”They--Tantine--or Sonia--have explained to you all the service, I suppose,” he said at last. ”It is different to yours in your country.

It means much more--”

”And is more easily broken.”

”That is so, but we shall not break ours, except by death,” and he raised his head proudly. ”From Wednesday onward the rest of your life belongs to me.”

Tamara s.h.i.+vered. If she could only overcome this numbness which had returned--if she could only let her frozen heart speak; this was surely the moment, but she could not, she remained silent and white and lifeless.

He came over to the sofa.

”Tamara,” he said, and his voice vibrated with suppressed pa.s.sion.

”Will you tell me the truth? Do you hate me,--or what do you feel for me?”

She thought he meant only to torture her further; she would not answer the question.

”Is it not enough that you have conquered me by force? Why should you care to know what my feelings are? As you say, after Wednesday I shall belong to you--You can strangle me at Milaslav if you wish. My body will be yours, but my soul you shall never soil or touch, you have no part or lot in that matter, Prince.”

His eyes filled with pain.

”I will even have your soul,” he said. Then, as though restraining further emotion, he went on coldly. ”I have arranged that after the wedding we go to my house, and do not start for the South until Sat.u.r.day. There are some things I wish to show you there. Will that be as you wish?”

”I have no wishes, it is as you please,” Tamara answered monotonously.

He gave an impatient shrug, and walked up and down the room, his will kept its mastery, but it was a tremendous strain. Her words had stung him, her intense quiet and absence of emotion had produced a faint doubt. What if after all he should never be able to make her love him.

For the first time in his life a hand of ice clutched his heart. He knew in those moments of agony that she meant the whole world to him.

He glanced at her slender graceful figure so listlessly leaning against the blue cus.h.i.+ons, at her pale ethereal face, and then he turned abruptly away toward the door to the other salon.

”Come,” he said, ”it is of no avail to talk further, we will say goodnight.” Tamara rose. The way to her room led from the opposite side.

”Goodnight then,” she said, ”make my adieu to Sonia and the rest. I shall go to bed,” and she walked that way. The whole floor was between them, as she looked back. He stood rigid by the other door.

Then with great strides he was beside her, and had taken her in his arms.

”Ah! G.o.d!” he said, as he fiercely kissed her, and then almost flung her from him, and strode from the room.

And Tamara went on to her own, trembling with excitement.

This was pa.s.sion truly, but what if some love lurked underneath?--and when she reached her great white bed she fell upon her knees, and burying her face in her hands she prayed to G.o.d.

<script>