He helped her out, and she almost fell she was so stiff with cold, and
then she found herself, after passing through a little passage, in a
warm, large room. It had a stove at one end, and the walls, distempered
green, had antlers hung round. There was one plain oak table and a
bench behind it, a couple of wooden armchairs, a corner cupboard, and
an immense couch with leather cushions, which evidently did for a bed,
and on the floor were several wolf skins.
The Prince made no explanation as to why there was a fire, he just
helped her off with her furs without a word; he hung them up on a peg
and then divested himself of his own.
He wore the brown coat to-day, and was handsome as a god. Then, after
he had examined the stove and looked from the window, he quietly left
the room.
The contrast of the heat after the intense cold without made a tingling
and singing in Tamara's ears. She was not sure, but thought she heard
the key turn in the lock. She started to her feet from the chair where
she sat and rushed to try the door, and this time her heart again gave
a terrible bound, and she stood sick with apprehension.
The door was fastened from without.
For a few awful moments which seemed an eternity, she was conscious of
nothing but an agonized terror. She could not reason or decide how to
act. And then her fine courage came back, and she grew more calm.
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