"Do you really never waltz?" he said, as we passed up and down.
I told him no.
"But why not?" I said, one of my guardians disapproved of it.
"Is he here to-night?"No.
"Then, he will never know what you do." I said then, that I had
promised.
"Then it was not for my own pleasure I had given it up?" I said,
no.
"Didnt I sometimes wish for the pleasure again?" Sometimes, I
confessed, when I heard the music.
"Had I promised for always?" No.
"O well!it was very easy to forget the precise date." I said (here for an instant a flush came) that I had not forgotten it.
We were standing just then by the open lawn and the circle of dancers; andI thinkmy foot stirred a little, answering the measure if a new waltz which the band struck up. In an instant, before I had time to think or speak, he had whirled me off among the crowd. So much taller than I, so much stronger, so skilled a dancer, that at first I could only go where I was taken, obliged to keep the step, in my own self-defence. One hand of course he held; but the otherdid nottouch him. And, presently, I made him let me go. But (we had gone so fast) not till we had taken rather more than one round, I think, I am not quit sure. And I always mean to tell you.The voice fell a little, breaking off short.
She had not looked at him once since he came in; she did not look now, to see how her story was received, but sat still, feeling as if her very life were at stand. His face had changed notably as she went on; its burden of grave care cleared away; his brow grew full of light; the eyebrows came into their wonted line; but Rollos eyes were the eyes of a man whose soul is on fire. He stood breathlessly at first, then sitting down beside the girl got possession of one of her hands, but only so speaking his sympathy or eagerness; till as she finished he brought it to his lips, or rather bowed his lips to it and kissed the little hand over and over. He made no other answer; he said no word at all, till the dark flush which had kindled in his face at her story a little faded away. Then, still holding her hand perhaps unconsciously close, he said, low enough,