His Hour | Page 9

hand within his arm
and began walking toward the group of her friends. "Last night you
were afraid some should see me from the hotel, and to-night you dare
me. Do it once more and I will kiss your lips!"
Tamara went dead white; she felt as if the ground were sinking beneath
her feet; her knees trembled. In all her smooth, conventionally ordered
life she had never experienced such a strong emotion.
The Prince glanced at her, and the fierceness went out of his eyes. He
bowed gravely with the most courtly homage, and left her standing by
Millicent's side.
Then Tamara remembered she was a lady, and that tenue was expected
of her; so she turned to her friend gaily and said how she was enjoying
the ball; but her fine nostrils quivered at intervals for the rest of the
night.

"Thank God!" she said to herself, when a few hours later she got into
bed--"Thank God! we are going tomorrow. I shall never see him again,
and no one shall ever know."
CHAPTER IV
Next day they started, escorted to the station by a troup of gushing
friends. Their compartment was a bower of flowers, and as each
moment went by Tamara's equanimity was restored by the thought that
she would soon be out of the land of her disgrace.
It is a tiresome journey to Alexandria--dusty and glaring and not of
great interest. They hurried on board the ship when they arrived,
without even glancing at their fellow passengers following in the
gangway. Neither woman was a perfect sailor and both were quite
overcome with fatigue. It promised to be a disagreeable night, too, so
they retired at once to their cabins, and were soon asleep.
The next day, which was Sunday, the wind blew, but by the afternoon
calmed down again, and Tamara decided to dress and go on deck.
"Mrs. Hardcastle went up some hours ago; she was ready for luncheon,
ma'am," her maid told her.
"She left a message for you to join her when you woke."
The ship was the usual sort of ship that goes from Alexandria to Trieste,
and the two English ladies had secured places for their chairs in the
most protected spot. Tamara rather looked forward to being able to sit
there in the moonlight and enjoy the Mediterranean.
Her maid preceded her with her rug and cushion and book, and it was
not until she was quite settled that she took cognizance of an empty
chair at her other side.
"You lazy child!" Millicent Hardcastle said. "To sleep all day like this!
It has been quite beautiful since luncheon, and I have had a most
agreeable time. That extremely polite nice young Russian Prince we

met at the Khedive's ball is here, dear; indeed, that is his chair next you.
He is with Stephen Strong. We have been talking for hours."
Tamara felt suddenly almost cold.
"I never saw him in the train or coming on board," she said, with
almost a gasp.
"Nor did I, and yet he must have been just behind us. Our places at
meals are next him, too. So fortunate he was introduced, because one
could not talk to a strange man, even on a boat. I never can understand
those people who pick up acquaintances promiscuously; can you,
dear?"
"No," said Tamara, feebly.
She was pondering what to do. She could not decline to know the
Prince without making some explanation to Millicent. She also could
not flatter him so much. She must just be icily cold, and if he should be
further impertinent she could remain in her cabin.
But what an annoying contretemps! And she had thought she should
never see him again!--and here until Wednesday afternoon, she would
be constantly reminded of the most disgraceful incident in her career.
All brought upon herself, too, by her own action in having lapsed from
the rigid rules in which Aunt Clara had brought her up.
If she had not answered him at the Sphinx--he could not have--but she
refused to dwell upon the shame of this recollection.
She had quite half an hour to grow calm before the cause of her unrest
came even into sight, and when he did, it was to walk past in the
company of their old friend, Stephen Strong.
The Prince raised his cap gravely, and Tamara comforted herself by
noticing again how badly his clothes fitted him! How unsuitable, and
even ridiculous, they were to English eyes--That gave her pleasure!
Also she must have a little fun with Millicent.

"Has it struck you, Millie, the Prince is the same young man we saw in
the pyjamas on the veranda? I am surprised at your speaking to such a
person, even if he has been introduced!"
Mrs. Hardcastle