d.i.c.k bowed, and Alice, producing a card, said, "I shall be most happy.
Will Mr. Hunter write his name on my card?"
d.i.c.k did so, and was thankful that he could now write a handsome hand.
"Now," said Theodore, unceremoniously, "I"ll leave you two to amuse each other, while I go off in search of a partner."
"I"m in for it," thought d.i.c.k, seating himself on the sofa beside Alice.
"I wish I knew what to say."
"Do you like the Lancers?" inquired the young lady.
"Yes, I like it," said d.i.c.k, "but I haven"t danced it much. I"m afraid I shall make some mistakes."
"I"ve no doubt we shall get along well," said Alice. "Where did you learn?"
"I learned at home," said d.i.c.k.
"I thought I had not met you at Dodworth"s. I attended dancing school there last winter."
"No," said d.i.c.k; "I never took lessons."
"Don"t you like Ida Greyson?" inquired Alice.
"Yes, I like her very much," said d.i.c.k, sincerely.
"She"s a sweet girl. She"s a very intimate friend of mine. Who is that boy that came into the room with you?"
"His name is Henry Fosd.i.c.k."
"He"s going to dance with Ida. Come, let us hurry and get in the same set."
d.i.c.k offered his arm, and, as the sets were already being formed, led his partner to the upper end of the room, where they were just in time to get into the same set with Ida.
Theodore, with a girl about his own age, had already taken his position opposite d.i.c.k. Fosd.i.c.k and Ida were the first couple, and opposite them Isaac and Isabella Selden, cousins of Theodore and Alice.
They had scarcely taken their places when the music struck up. d.i.c.k felt a little fl.u.s.tered, but determined to do his best. Being very quick in learning figures, and naturally gracefully in his movements, he got through very creditably, and without a mistake.
"I thought you expected to make mistakes," said Alice Selden, as d.i.c.k led her back to her seat. "I think you dance very well."
"It was because I had such a good partner," said d.i.c.k.
"Thank you for the compliment," said Alice, courtesying profoundly.
"Seems to me you"re very polite, Alice," said Theodore, coming up.
"Mr. Hunter was paying me a compliment," said Alice.
"I wish you"d tell me how," said Theodore to d.i.c.k.
"I wish he would," interrupted Alice. "All your compliments are of the wrong kind."
"It isn"t expected that brothers should compliment their sisters," said Theodore.
Mrs. Greyson came into the room during the dancing, and was pleased to see that d.i.c.k and Henry Fosd.i.c.k, instead of sitting awkwardly in the corner, were taking their part in the evening"s amus.e.m.e.nt. d.i.c.k made an engagement with Alice for another dance later in the evening, but danced the second with Ida Greyson, with whom, by this time, he felt very well acquainted.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
"I didn"t know you knew Alice Selden," said Ida. "Where did you meet her?"
"Her brother Theodore introduced me this evening. I did not know her before."
"You haven"t been here lately, d.i.c.k," said Ida, familiarly.
"No," said he. "It"s because I"ve been very busy."
"You don"t work in the evening,--do you?"
"I study in the evening."
"What do you study, d.i.c.k?"
"French, for one thing."
"Can you speak French?"
"A little. Not much."
"I"m going to try you "_Comment vous portez-vous, monsieur?_""
""_Tres bien, mademoiselle. Et vous?_""
"That"s right," said Ida, gravely. "I can"t talk much yet myself. Who teaches you?"
"I have a private teacher."
"So have I. She comes twice a week. When I don"t know my lesson, she boxes my ears. Is your teacher cross?"
"No," said d.i.c.k, laughing. "He doesn"t box my ears."
"That"s because you"re so large. I wish I could have you for my teacher.
I"d ask papa, if you could only speak it like a native."
"So I can," said d.i.c.k.
"You can, really?"
"Yes, like a native of New York."