coming down to see you; but now Gritzko has appeared we shall receive
no attention, I fear," and she laughed happily, while the little boy
came forward, and with beautiful manners kissed Tamara's hand.

"You are an English lady," he said, without the slightest accent. "Have
you a little boy, too?"

Tamara was obliged to own she had no children, which he seemed to think
very unfortunate.

"Marie always has to have her own way, but while she is with Gritzko
she is generally good," he announced.

"How splendidly you speak English!" Tamara said. "And only eight years
old! I suppose you can talk French, too, as well as Russian?"

"Naturally, of course," he replied, with fine contempt. "But I'll tell
you something--German I do very badly. We have a German governess, and
I hate her. Her mouth is too full of teeth."

"That certainly is a disadvantage," Tamara agreed.

"When Gritzko gets up with us he makes her in a fine rage! She
spluttered so at him last week the bottom row fell out. We were glad!"

Princess Sonia now interrupted: "What are you saying, Peter?" she
said. "Poor Fräulein! You know I shall have to forbid Gritzko from
going to tea with you. You are all so naughty when you get together!"

There was at once a fierce scream from the other side of the room.