Then there was silence.
Her thoughts became a little confused with the intense cold and the
effect of the champagne, and once or twice she dozed off; and when he
saw this he drew her close to him and let her sleep with her head
against his arm, while he wrapped the furs round her so that she felt
no cold. Then he kept watch over her tenderly, fondest love in his
eyes. She would wake sometimes with a start and draw herself away, but
soon fell off again, and in this fashion, neither speaking, the hours
passed and they gradually drew near Moscow.
Then she woke completely with a shudder and sat up straight, and so
they came to the hotel and found the Princess and the others anxiously
waiting for them.
"What an unfortunate contretemps, Tamara, dear child," her godmother
said, "that wicked storm! We only just arrived safely, and poor Olga
and your friend fared no better than you! Imagine! they, too, had to
take shelter in that second village in a most horrible hovel, which
they shared with the cows. It has been too miserable for you all four I
am afraid."
But Gritzko was obliged to turn quickly away to hide the irrepressible
smile in his eyes--really, sometimes, fate seemed very kind.
So there was no scandal, only commiseration, and both Countess Olga and
Tamara were petted and spoilt--while, if there was a roguish note in
Valonne's sympathetic condolences, none of them appeared to notice it.
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