Roy could hold in no longer. He burst out in a roar of laughter.
“I know what he means now!â€� he gasped. “Oh, for Pete’s sake! He means, ‘May I have this dance!’ Wow! Hold me up, somebody! Mahvis dance! Jimminy! I’m going to cave in, sure! Nick, you old—â€� and vainly Roy struggled for breath.
Like a flash, every head turned in the direction of the door. Nick grinned in embarrassment. Sing Lung, with a yell, tore off the apron and hat.
“I’m sorry, Nick, but I couldn’t help it!â€� Roy gasped. “We just happened to hear what you said. Sing, you sure are one fine lady! Excuse me, boys, but I just have to—â€� and he went off in another gale of merriment.
Ethel and Teddy were doing their best to preserve straight faces, but the strain was too much. They, too, started to laugh.
“Sure, go ahead!â€� Nick said, with a grin. “We don’t mind it. I was just showin’ the boys how to act tonight. You see, they don’t know nothin’ about polite society, an’ I—â€�
“Yea, I suppose you know it all!� Pop Burns burst out. “Teddy, what’s that crazy thing this coot’s been tellin’ us. What does ‘mahvis dance’ mean?�
“It means ‘may I have this dance!’� Teddy answered. “Nick, you take the first prize. Where did you ever hear that?�
“What, mahvis dance?� Nick asked. “Why, that’s what those New Yorkers said over at Easton when they had that dance fer the benefit of the starvin’ Negroes or somethin’. I went to it, so I know. But these hyenas, here, don’t pay no attention to me!�
“You just go on explaining to them, Nick,� Ethel advised, with a smile. “You’re perfectly right. ‘Mahvis dance’ is correct.�