“No, no, leetle lady. It vas not the music. It vas the sister to the music; it vas the dance. I vas professeur of the dance. Think of that, of the dance. So nimble, so quick; see, like this,” and little Gex, carried away by the memory of his former triumphs, took hold of the sides of his apron and made two or three quaint, fantastic steps, ending them with a little pirouette and a low bow which enchanted Lady Jane.
“Oh, how funny, how funny! Please do it again—won’t you, Mr. Gex? Oh, do, do!”
Gex smiled indulgently, but shook his head. “No, no, leetle lady. Once is enough, just to show you how nimble and quick one professeur of the dance can be; but then I vas young and supple, and full of life. I vas running over vith life; I vas one fine leetle gentleman, so springy and light, and I vas all the fashion. Vould you believe it, leetle lady? I had one fine grand house on Rue Royale, and all the rich peoples, and all the noblesse, and all the leetle gentlemen and the small leetle ladies like you came to the ‘Professeur Gex’ to learn the dance.”
“But why, why, Mr. Gex, did you leave the Rue Royale?” asked Lady Jane, greatly puzzled at his changed condition, and anxious to know by what strange freak of destiny he had been brought to sell fruit and vegetables in Good Children Street, to wear an apron, and to mend his own stockings.
“Ah, vell, my leetle lady, it vas many things vhat brought me to here,” he replied, with a sigh of resignation. “You see, I did not stay the fashion. I got old, and the rheumatism made me slow and stiff, and I vas no more such a fine, light leetle gentleman. I could not jump and turn so nimble and quick, and a new professeur came from Paris, and to him vent all my pupils. I had no money, because I vas vairy fond of good living and I lived high like one gentleman; and so ven I vas old I vas poor, and there vas nothing but to sell the fruit and vegetables in Good Children Street.”
“Oh, dear, dear, what a pity!” sighed Lady Jane regretfully. To think that the mighty had fallen so low touched her loyal little heart, and brought the tears of sympathy to her blue eyes.
“Naiver mind, naiver mind. You see I vas old, and I could not teach the dance alvay; but attendez, my leetle lady, listen to vhat I say,” and he clasped his hands persuasively, and turned his head on one side, his little twinkling eyes full of entreaty. “Vould you now, vould you like to learn the dance? I’m old, and I’m no more so nimble and light, but I know the steps, all the fine steps, and my leetle lady must learn the dance some time. Von’t you let me teach you how to take the fine leetle steps?”
“Oh, Mr. Gex, will you?” cried Lady Jane, jumping down from her chair, with a flushed, eager face, and standing in front of the little dancing-master. “Do, do!—I’m all ready. Teach them to me now!”
“Vell, that is all right, stand as you are, and I vill begin just now,” said Gex, beaming with pleasure, while he hurriedly rolled his aprons up under his armpits, and pushed his spectacles well on the top of his bald head. “Now, now, leetle lady, turn out your toes, take hold of your skirt, just so. Right foot, left foot, just so. Vatch me. Right foot, left foot. One, two, three. Right foot, one, two; left foot, one, two, three; half around, one, two, three; just so, vatch me. Back again, half around, one, two, one two—oh, good, good, vairy good! My leetle lady, you vill learn the dance so vell!”
It was a delicious picture that they made in the dingy little shop, surrounded by fruit and vegetables. Lady Jane, with her yellow flying hair, her radiant rosy face, her gracious head coquettishly set on one side, her sparkling blue eyes fixed on Gex, her dainty little fingers holding out her short skirt, her slender, graceful legs and tiny feet advancing and retreating in shy mincing steps, turning and whirling with a graceful swaying motion first on one side, then the other, right in front of Gex, who, with a face of preternatural gravity, held out his loose trousers’ legs, and turned his small brogans to the correct angle, while he went through all the intricate steps of a first dancing-lesson in the quaint, old-fashioned style of fifty years ago, every movement being closely followed by the child with a grace and spirit really charming.