For luncheon quite a number of guests arrived, the Princess, she found
afterward, was hardly ever alone.
"I don't care to go out, Tamara, as a rule, to d?jeuner," she said,
"but I love my house to be filled with young people and mirth."
The names were very difficult for Tamara to catch, especially as they
all called each other by their _petits noms_--all having been friends
since babyhood, if not, as often was the case, related by ties of
blood; but at last she began to know that "Olga" was the Countess
Gl?boff, and "Sonia," the Princess Solentzeff-Zasiekin--both young,
under thirty, and both attractive and quite _sans g?ne_.
"Olga" was little and plump, with an oval face and rather prominent
eyes, but with a way of saying things which enchanted Tamara's ear. Her
manner was casualness itself, and had a wonderful charm; and another
thing struck her now that she saw them in daylight, not a single woman
present--and there were six or seven at least--had even the slightest
powder on her face. They were as nature made them, not the faintest aid
from art in any way. "They cannot be at all coquette like the French,"
she thought, "or even like us in England, or they could not all do
their hair like that whether it suits them or no! But what charm they
have--much more than we, or the French, or any one I know."
They were all so amusing and gay at lunch and talked of teeny scandals
with a whimsical humor at themselves for being so small, which was
delightful, and no one said anything spiteful or mean.
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