The gendarme was glad to have at least got an answer from her, and continued:
"And if I were allowed to dance, I would have one with you right now."
"I cannot dance," replied Amrei.
Just then the music ceased. Amrei pushed against the people in front of her, and made her way in to seek some retired corner. She heard some one behind her say:
"Why, she can dance better than anybody in this part of the country!"
CHAPTER X
ONLY A SINGLE DANCE
Down from the musicians" platform c.r.a.ppy Zachy handed a gla.s.s to Amrei.
She took a sip, and handed it back; and c.r.a.ppy Zachy said:
"If you dance, Amrei, I"ll play all my instruments so that the angels will come down from the sky and join in."
"Yes, but unless an angel comes down from the sky and asks me, I shall not get a partner," said Amrei, half in fun and half in sorrow. And then she began to wonder why there had to be a gendarme at a dance; but she did not hold to this thought long, but immediately went on to say to herself: "After all, he is a man like anybody else, even though he has a sword on; and before he became a gendarme, he was a lad like the rest.
It must be a plague for him that he can"t dance. But what"s that to me?
I, too, am obliged to be a mere spectator, and I don"t get any money for it."
For a short time things went on in a much more quiet and moderate manner in the dancing-room. For the "English woman," as Agy, the wife of Severin, the building contractor, was still called, had come to the dance with her children. The rich wood-merchants set the champagne corks to popping and offered a gla.s.s to the English woman; she drank the health of the young couple and then made each one happy by a gracious word. A constant and complacent smile was lighting up the face of everybody. Agy honored many a young fellow who drank to her from the garlanded gla.s.ses, by sipping from hers in return. The old women, who sat near Barefoot, were loud in their praises of the English woman, and stood up a long time before she came when they saw her approaching to speak a few words to them. When Agy had gone away, the rejoicing, singing, dancing, stamping, and shouting broke out again with renewed vigor.
Farmer Rodel"s foreman now came toward Amrei, and she felt a thrill of expectation. But the foreman said:
"Here, Barefoot, take care of my pipe for me while I am dancing." And after that several young girls from her village also came; from one she received a jacket, from another a cap, or a neckerchief, or a door-key.
She let them hand it all over to her, and stood there with an ever-increasing load as one dance followed another. All the time she smiled quietly to herself, but n.o.body came to ask her to dance. Now a waltz was being played, so smoothly that one could have swum to it. And then a wild and furious galop; hurrah! now they are all hopping and stamping and jumping and panting in supreme delight. And how their eyes glitter! The old women who are sitting in the corner where Amrei is standing, complain of the dust and heat; but still, they don"t go home.
Then--suddenly Amrei starts; her eyes are fixed upon a handsome young man who is walking proudly to and fro among the crowd. It is the rider who had met her that morning, and whom she had snubbed in such a pert way. All eyes are fastened upon him as he comes forward, his right hand behind him, and his left holding a silver-mounted pipe. His silver watch-chain bobs up and down, and how beautiful is his black velvet jacket, and his loose black velvet trousers, and his red waistcoat! But more beautiful still is his round head with its curly, brown hair. His brow is white as snow; but from the eyes down his face is sunburnt, and a light, full beard covers his chin and cheeks.
"That"s a bonny fellow," said one of the old women.
"And what heavenly blue eyes he has!" added another; "they are at once so roguish and so kind."
"Where can he be from? He"s not from this neighborhood," said a third.
And a fourth observed:
"I"ll wager he"s another suitor for Amrei."
Barefoot started. What did this mean? What was that she said? But she soon found out the meaning of it, for the first old lady resumed:
"Then I"m sorry for him; for the b.u.t.ter Countess makes fools of all the men."
And so the b.u.t.ter Countess"s name was also Amrei.
The young stranger had pa.s.sed through the room several times, turning his eyes from one side to the other. Then he suddenly stopped not far from Barefoot and beckoned to her. A hot flush overspread her face; she stood riveted to the spot and did not move a muscle. No, he certainly beckoned to somebody behind you; he cannot mean you. The stranger pressed forward and Amrei made way for him. He must be looking for some one else.
"No, it"s you I want," said the lad, taking Barefoot"s hand. "Will you dance?"
Amrei could not speak. But what need was there to speak? She threw everything she had in her arms down into a corner--jackets, neckerchiefs, caps, pipes, and door-keys--and stood there ready. The lad threw a dollar up to the musicians; and when c.r.a.ppy Zachy saw Amrei on the arm of the stranger, he blew his trumpet until the very walls trembled. And to the blessed souls above no music can sound more beautiful than did this to Amrei. She danced she knew not how; she felt as if she were being carried in the stranger"s arms, as if she were floating in the air, and there seemed to be no one else there. And, indeed, they both danced so well, that everybody involuntarily stopped to look at them.
"We are alone," said Amrei during the dance; and then she felt the warm breath of her partner as he answered:
"Oh that we were alone--alone in the world! Why cannot one go on dancing thus--on and on to the end of time."
"I feel," said Amrei, "just as if we were two doves flying through the air. Juhu! away into the heavens!" And "Juhu!" cried the lad gleefully, "Juhu!" And the sound shot up heavenward like a fiery rocket. "Juhu!"
cried Amrei, rejoicing with him. And on they danced with ever-increasing joy. Finally Amrei said:
"Tell me--is the music going on? Are the musicians still playing? I don"t hear them any more."
"Of course they are still playing. Don"t you hear them?"
"Yes, now I do," said Amrei. And now they stopped, for her partner probably felt that she was becoming giddy with happiness.
The stranger led Amrei to the table, and gave her wine to drink, and did not let go her hand. He lifted the Swedish ducat that hung from her necklace, and said:
"This ducat is in a good place."
"And it came from a good hand," answered Amrei. "That necklace was given to me when I was a little child."
"By a relative?"
"No, the lady was no relative."
"Dancing agrees with you apparently."
"Oh, indeed it does! You see, I"m obliged to jump around so much all the year around when n.o.body is playing for me--and therefore I enjoy it doubly now."
"You look as round as a ball," said the stranger in jest. "You must live where the food is good."
Amrei replied quickly:
"It"s not the food itself that does it, but the way one enjoys it."
The stranger nodded; and after a pause, he spoke again, half questioningly:
"You are the daughter of Farmer--"
"No, I am a maid," replied Amrei, looking him full in the face. The stranger"s eyes almost fell; the lids quivered, but he held them open by force. And this struggle and victory of the bodily eye seemed to be a symbol of what was going on within him. He felt almost inclined to leave the girl sitting there; but he resisted and conquered the impulse, and said:
"Come, let us have another dance."
He held her hand fast, and the pleasure and excitement began again; but this time it was more quiet and moderate. Both of them seemed to feel that the sensation of being lifted to the sky was over and past; and this thought was evidently in Amrei"s mind when she said: