a tall old Prince and a diplomat. The uniforms pleased her and the
glorious pearls of the ladies. Such pearls--worth a king's ransom!

Then she was interested to see the many different sorts of wine, and
the extreme richness of the food, and finally the shortness of the
meal.

The pretty custom of the men kissing the hostess' hand as they all left
the dining-room together, she found delightful.

They were drinking coffee in the blue salon, and most of the party had
retired to the bridge tables laid out, and Tamara, who played too
badly, sat by the fire with her godmother and another lady, when
suddenly the door opened and, with an air of complete insouciance and
assurance, Prince Milaslávski came in.

"I want some coffee, Tantine," he said, kissing the Princess' hand,
while he nodded to everyone else. "I was passing and so came in to get
it."

"Gritzko--back again!" the whole company cried, and the Princess,
beaming upon him fond smiles, gave him the coffee, while she murmured
her glad welcome.

The society now began to chaff him as to his doings, which he took with
the utmost _sang froid_.

"That old cat of a Marianne Mariuski sets about as usual one of her
stories. I am having an orgie at Milasláv, and this time with a
seraglio of Egyptian houris--the truth being I only brought back by