"My dancing days are over, yes," said Sir Everard, absently. He was thinking how lovely his wife had looked at the last court ball he had been to.
"Do they dance 'Up the middle and down again,' Fardie?"
"No," answered Sir Everard, smiling, "quadrilles and valses mostly."
"I suppose when you were young and went to balls, they used to dance the minuet?" said Humphrey. "Used you to wear a pig-tail, father?"
"Upon my word!" said Sir Everard, "why, how old do you think I am?"
The children had no idea, and amused themselves for the next ten minutes by trying to guess, their conjectures varying between sixty and ninety.
"Will you come for a run, father?" said Humphrey, presently.
"It's a little hot for running, isn't it?" answered Sir Everard; "but if you are tired of being indoors, you can go in the garden, and I will join you in about an hour."
"We might go to the village, mightn't we, and spend my pennies? Dyson's got his trumpet, so there's nothing to save for, and I should like to spend them."