Then he poured out a
tumbler of champagne and made her drink it down. It revived her, and
she said she was ready to start. But as she stood he noticed that all
her proud carriage of head was gone.
"My God! what should I feel like now?" he said to himself, "if it were
really true!"
He wrapped her in her furs with cold politeness, his manner had resumed
the stiffness of their yesterday's drive.
Suddenly she felt it was not possible there could be this frightful
secret between them. It must surely be all a dreadful dream.
She began to speak, and he waited gravely for what she would say; but
the words froze on her lips when she saw the pistol in his belt--that
brought back the reality. She shuddered convulsively and clenched her
hands. He put on his furs quietly and then opened the door.
He lifted her into the troika which was waiting outside. St?pan's face,
as he stood holding the reins, was as stolid as though nothing unusual
had occurred.
So they started.
"I told the messenger to tell Tantine that we were caught in the snow,"
he said, "and had to take shelter at the farm.--There is a farm a verst
to the right after one passes the forest. It contains a comfortable
farmer's wife and large family, and though you found it too
confoundedly warm in their kitchen you passed a possible night.
"Very well," said Tamara with grim meekness.
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