Apparently "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-Eater" was desolated, for he put his hands to his eyes and rocked himself back and forth with wailing groans of despair. He was funny, and Dolly had a great desire to know who he might be, but she did not like the familiarity of his manner, and she turned away to speak to some one else.
"Take partners for a Virginia reel," called out Mr. Holmes, "and after that, we will unmask for supper."
The next moment Dolly found the tall ghost bowing before her and evidently asking her to dance with him.
But instinctively she felt that she preferred not to dance with a partner who was what she called "fresh" in his manner and she shook her head in refusal.
"Peter" urged and begged her, in dumb show, to consent. Dolly was tempted to do so, for his gestures were pleasantly wheedlesome, but as she held out her hand in half consent, Peter grasped it and falling on one knee kissed it with his hand on his heart with all the effect of a most devoted cavalier.
"He's too silly!" Dolly thought to herself; "I won't dance with him, for I don't know how he would carry on. But I wonder who he is."
So Dolly turned decidedly away from the tall suitor and found two other ghosts bowing before her and evidently requesting her to dance.
She looked at the two figures and having no idea who they might be, she hesitated which to choose.
Finally, with a white-gloved finger, she touched each in turn, "counting out."
"My—mother—told—me—to—take—this—one!" She mumbled, in a monotonous singsong tone.