"One can see no woman lives here," she thought, though the one they
entered was comfortable enough. Huge English leather armchairs elbowed
some massively gilt seats of the time of Nicholas I., and an ugly
English high fender with its padded seat, surrounded the blazing log
fire.
The guests were all assembled, but host, there was not!
"What an impertinence to keep them waiting like this," Tamara thought!
However, no one seemed to mind but herself, and they all stood laughing
or sitting on the fender in the best of spirits.
"I will bet you," said Olga Gléboff, in her attractive voice, "that
Gritzko comes in with no apology, and that we shall none of us be able
to drag from him where he has been!"
As she spoke he entered the room.
"Ah! you are all very early," he said, shaking their hands in frank
welcome. "So good of you, dear friends. Perhaps I am a little late, you
will forgive me, I know; and now for Zacouska, a wolf is tearing at my
vitals, I feel, and yours too. It is nine o'clock!"
Then the dining-room doors at the side opened and they all went in en
bande, and gathered round the high table, where they began to eat like
hungry natural people, selecting the dishes they wanted. Some of the
men taking immense spoonfuls of caviare, and spreading them on bread,
like children with jam. All were so joyous and so perfectly without
ceremony. Nothing could be more agreeable than this society, Tamara
thought.
Some of the men were elderly, and a number the husbands of the various
ladies; there were a few young officers and several diplomats from the
Embassies, too. But young or old, all were gay and ready to enjoy life.
"You must taste some vodka, Madame," Prince Milaslávski said, pouring a
small glass at Tamara's side. "You will not like it, but it is Russian,
and you must learn. See I take some, too, and drink your health!"
Tamara bowed and sipped the stuff, which she found very nasty, with a
whiff of ether in it. And then they all trouped to the large table in
this huge dining-hall.
Tamara sat on her host's right hand, and Princess Sonia on his left.
To-night his coat was brown and the underdress black, it was quite as
becoming as the others she had seen him in, with the strange belt and
gold and silver trimmings and the Eastern hang of it all, and his great
dark gray-blue eyes blazed at Tamara now and then with a challenge in
them she could hardly withstand.