"I hated to hear what you told me," and Tamara looked down. "It seemed
so dreadful--so barbaric--and so childish for a man who really has a
brain. If you were just an animal person like some of the others are,
it would not have mattered; but you--please I would like you never to
do any of these mad things again--"
Then she stopped suddenly and grew tenderly pink. She realized the
inference he must read in her words.
He did not speak for a moment, only devoured her with his great
blue-gray eyes. Of what he was thinking she did not know. It made her
uncomfortable and a little ashamed. Why had she melted, it was never
any use. So she drew herself up stiffly and leaned back in her seat.
Then down at the side by the folds of her dress he caught her hand
while he said quite low: "Madame, I must know--do you mean that?"
"Yes," she said, and tried to take away her hand. "Yes, I mean that I
think it dreadful for any human being to throw things away--and Oh! I
would like you to be very great."
He did not let go her hand, indeed he held it the more tightly.
"You are a dear after all, and I will try," he said. "And when I have
pleased you you must give me a reward."
"Alas! What reward could I give you, Prince," she sighed.
"That I will tell you when the time comes."
Thus peace seemed to be restored, and soon the curtain fell for the
interval before the last act, and the Prince got up and went out of the
box.
He did not reappear again, but was waiting for them to start for his
house.
"I met Stephen Strong, Tantine," he said. "He left me at Trieste, you
know, and only arrived in Petersburg to-day. He has got a cousin with
him, Lord something, so I have asked them both to come along. They will
be a little late they said."
"It is not Jack Courtray by chance--is it?" Tamara asked, in an
interested voice, as they went. "Mr. Strong has a cousin who lives near
us in the country and he is always traveling about."
"Yes, I think that is the name--Courtray. So you know him then!" and
the Prince leant forward from the seat which faced them. "An ami
d'enfance?"
"We used to play cricket and fish and bird's-nest," she said. "Tom--my
brother Tom--was his fag at Eton--he is one of my oldest friends--dear
old Jack."