his hour." But she had a revolver. "'Touch me and I will shoot,'
she gasped.... He made a step forward, but she lifted the pistol again to
her head ... and thus they glared at one another, the hunter and the
hunted.... He flung himself on the couch and lit a cigarette, and all that
was savage and cruel in him flamed from his eyes. 'My God!... and still I
loved you--madly loved you ... and last night when you defied me, then I
determined you should belong to me by force. No power in heaven or earth
can save you! Ah! If you had been different, how happy we might have been!
But it is too late; the devil has won, and soon I will do what I
please.'... For a long time there was silence.... Then the day-light faded
quite, and the Prince got up and lit a small oil lamp. There was a deadly
silence.... Ah! She must fight against this horrible lethargy.... Her arm
had grown numb.... Strange lights seemed to flash before her
eyes--yes--surely--that was Gritzko coming towards her! She gave a gasping
cry and tried to pull the trigger, but it was stiff.... The pistol dropped
from her nerveless grasp.... She gave one moan.... With a bound Gritzko
leaped up...."

* * * * *

"The light was grey when Tamara awoke. Where was she? What had happened?
Something ghastly, but where? Then she perceived her torn blouse, and with
a terrible pang remembrance came back to her. She started up, and as she
did so realized that she was in her stockinged feet. The awful
certainty.... Gritzko had won--she was utterly disgraced.... She hurriedly
drew off the blouse, then she saw her torn underthings.... She knew that
however she might make even the blouse look to the casual eyes of her
godmother, she could never deceive her maid."... "She was an outcast. She
was no better than Mary Gibson, whom Aunt Clara had with harshness turned
out of the house. She--a lady!--a grand English lady!... She crouched down
in a corner like a cowed dog...." Then he wrote to her formally demanding
her hand. And she replied: "To Prince Milaslavski. Monsieur,--I have no
choice; I consent.--Yours truly, Tamara Loraine." Thus they were married.
Her mood changed. "Oh! What did anything else matter in the world since
after all he loved her! This beautiful fierce lover! Visions of
enchantment presented themselves.... She buried her face in his scarlet
coat...." I must add that Gritzko had not really violated Tamara. He had
only ripped open her corsage t