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 godmother,
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.