Very soon, with an amiable-looking lady Crocodile on his arm, he came pacing back.
Although the lady Crocodile looked amiable, she seemed rather stupid, and would answer no questions, but only smiled. Baby Jane noticed that she seemed to have something on her mind—or in her mouth—and so it proved, for when the Bear whispered something funny in her ear and made her laugh out loud, a little nigger boy dropped out of her mouth.
With an amiable-looking lady Crocodile on his arm.
Baby Jane was horrified, but still the little nigger was safe, now, and to make a fuss would break up the whole party; so she said calmly—
'That makes six; now we can begin.'
For a class-room she chose a smooth patch of sand with no stones on it.
'Sit down in a row,' she said; 'the Bear and I will first show you a few steps of the Gavotte.'
While she was doing up her hair into a knot—an arrangement that she considered indispensable for that dance—the Bear stood brushing his beautiful fur and preening himself like a clumsy canary, and then shambled up looking very nervous. The others sat down awkwardly beside one another, trying to be at their ease, but they were the oddest row of creatures that ever sat down together, and not very likely to be friendly. However, the Piccaninny and the Rabbit soon began a firm friendship by playfully jogging one another over.
'Now!' said Baby Jane to the Bear, rather sternly, to cover the uncertainty she herself felt in teaching the Gavotte. 'Take my hand. One—two—three!'