Catrina he understood well enough.

Her rugged simplicity had betrayed her secret to him before he had been five minutes in the room.

Paul he despised as a man lacking finesse and esprit--a truly French form of contempt.

For Frenchmen have yet to learn that such qualities have remarkably little to do with love.
Claude de Chauxville was one of those men--alas! too many--who owe their success in life almost entirely to some feminine influence or another.
Whenever he came into direct opposition to men it was his instinct to retire from the field.

Behind Paul's back he despised him; before his face he cringed.
"Then, perhaps," he said, when the princess was engaged in the usual farewells with the countess, and Paul was moving toward the door--"then, perhaps, prince, we may meet again before the spring--if the countess intends her invitation to be taken seriously." "Yes," answered Paul; "I often shoot at Thors." "If you do not happen to come over, perhaps I may be allowed to call and pay my respects--or is the distance too great ?" "You can do it in an hour and a half with a quick horse, if the snow is good," answered Paul.
"Then I may make it au revoir ?" enquired De Chauxville, holding out a frank hand.
"Au revoir," said Paul, "if you wish it." And he turned to say good-by to Catrina.
As De Chauxville had arrived later than the other visitors, it was quite natural that he should remain after they had left, and it may be safely presumed that he took good care to pin the Countess Lanovitch down to her rash invitation.
"Why is that man coming to Tver ?" said Paul, rather gruffly, when Etta and he were settled beneath the furs of the sleigh.