They hailed the two with delight, and soon the four began a rubber, and
Tamara, who hated it, had to keep the whole of her attention to try and
avoid making some mistake.

Thus an hour past, and first Stephen Strong and then the other men came
in.

Jack Courtray was enthusiastic about the horses, and indeed the whole
thing. He and Gritzko had arranged to go on a bear-hunt the following
week, and everything looked couleur de rose--except the sky,
that continued covered with an inky pall.

The Princess beckoned to Gritzko and took him aside. She explained her
fears about the storm, and the necessity of an earlier start, to which
he agreed.

"I am going to ask you to let us take Katia with us, we have only the
one maid, and must have her in Moscow when we arrive," she said.

So thus it was arranged. The Princess and Stephen Strong and Katia were
to start first, and Sonia and her husband would take both Serge and
Valonne, leaving Gritzko to bring Tamara, Olga and Lord Courtray last.

All through the early lunch, which was now brought in, nothing could
have been more lamblike than their host. He exerted himself to be
sweetly agreeable to every one, and the Princess, generally so alert,
felt tranquil and content, while Tamara almost experienced a sense of
regret.

Only Count Valonne, if he had been asked, would have suggested--but he
was not officious and kept his ideas to himself.