Anita was not listening to this chatter carried on in the staccato tones of Miss Harriet and Miss Agatha. She was rather amused at Miss Ralston's attitude, who, with arms stretched across the table, was twirling a flower in her long fingers. She was rather fluent in speech, both English and Spanish, but Mrs. Beltrán declared her superficial, and Anita suspected her of being a poseur, yet she kept the ball rolling at table and always made one aware of her presence by some trick of dress or conversation.
Presently she tossed her flower to Don Manuel, hitting him squarely on the hand which was vibrating the strings of his mandolin. "A bouquet for you, señor," she said mockingly. "Give us something stirring, something to dance by."
Don Manuel immediately turned to her as he picked up the flower and stuck it in his buttonhole. "You will dance, señorita?" he asked.
"Do you want me to?" she returned, looking at him from under half closed lids.
"Si, señorita," he replied, his fingers quickening the measure of his music.
"Wait; I will get my castanets," said Miss Ralston. She swept sinuously from the patio and came back instantly, scarf wound around her lithe figure and the castanets clattering between her fingers. She said a few words in an undertone to Don Manuel, then stood erect, gave two or three quick stamps with her slippered feet and whirled off into a dance unlike any Anita had seen. It expressed grace, passion, abandon, reserve; invitation, dismissal, anger, surrender. Languorous undulations were followed by quick whirlings, stampings of the feet by swaying grace, the snap of the castanets accenting the music of the mandolin all the while. Finally the dance ended with a sudden quick click of the castanets and a wonderful pose with arms aloft.
"Bravo! Bravo!" cried Don Manuel laying aside his mandolin to applaud. The others clapped vigorously, Mr. Ivanovitch loudest of all, and Miss Ralston breathing hard, looked around with the air of one victorious.
"It is wonderful," cried Anita. "I should love to dance like that. I wish you would teach me, Miss Ralston. Where did you learn to dance so wonderfully?"
Miss Ralston laughed, and gave Don Manuel a little side glance. "Where did I learn? In Spain," she answered and went off with her castanets.
Don Manuel came over to where Anita was sitting. "If you wish to learn, señorita," he said in a low voice, "I myself, will teach you."