Tamara had just begun to dress when her godmother came into her room
next day.

"There is going to be a terrible snow storm, dear," she said. "I think
we should get down fairly early and suggest to Gritzko that we start
back to Moscow before lunch. It is no joke to be caught in this wild
country. I will send you in Katia."

Tamara's maid had been left in Petersburg, and indeed her godmother's,
an elderly Russian accustomed to these excursions, had been the only
one brought.

"I won't be more than half an hour dressing," she said. "Don't go down
without me, Marraine."

And the Princess promised and returned to her room.

"It has been a real success, our little outing, has it not?" she said,
when later they were descending the stairs. "Gritzko has been so quiet
and nice. I am so happy, dear child, that you can go away now without
that uncomfortable feeling of quarreling. There was one moment when he
got up from behind your chair last night I feared you had angered him
about something, but afterward he was so gentle and charming when we
talked I felt quite reassured."

"Yes, indeed," feebly responded Tamara. "The party has been positively
tame!"

They found their host had gone with Jack and the rest of the men to the
stables to inspect his famous teams. But Princess Sonia and Countess
Olga were already down. They were smoking lazily, and had almost
suggested a double dummy of their favorite game.