perhaps capricious even, as his own.

Their train for Moscow started at nine o'clock, and the whole party had
arranged to dine at the Ardácheff house at seven and then go to the
station.

Nothing of the scandal of the night seemed to have transpired, for no
one even hinted at anything about it.

Gritzko was still very pale, but appeared none the worse, and the
atmosphere seemed to have resumed a peaceful note.

The five sleeping compartments reserved for this party of ten were all
in a row in one carriage, and Tamara and the Princess, on the plea of
fatigue, immediately retired to their berths for the night, Tamara not
having addressed a single direct word to Gritzko. So far, so well. But
when she was comfortably tucked into the top berth, and an hour or so
later was just falling off to sleep, he knocked at the door, and the
Princess believing it to be the ticket-collector opened it, and he put
his head in. The shade was drawn over the lamp and the compartment was
in a blue gloom. Tamara was startled by hearing her godmother say:

"Gritzko! Thou! What do you want, dear boy, disturbing us like this?"

"I came to ask you to tie up my arm," he said. "I was practising with a
pistol yesterday, and it went off and the bullet grazed the skin, and
the damned thing has begun bleeding again. I know you are a trained
nurse, Tantine. Serge, who is with me, has tried and made a ridiculous
mess of it, so I brought the bandage to you."