"Daisy, you dance with me?"
"I am engaged, Preston, for the first dance."
"Already! The second, then, and all the others?"
"I am engaged," — I repeated, and left him, for Mr. Thorold
was at my side.
I forgot Preston the next minute. It was easy to forget him,
for all the first half of the evening I was honestly happy in
dancing. In talking too, whenever Thorold was my partner;
other people's talk was very tiresome. They went over the
platitudes of the day; or they started subjects of interest
that were not interesting to me. Bits of gossip — discussions
of fashionable amusements with which I could have nothing to
do; frivolous badinage, which was of all things most
distasteful to me. Yet, amid it all, I believe, there was a
subtle incense of admiration which by degrees and insensibly
found its way to my senses. But I had two dances with Thorold,
and at those times I was myself and enjoyed unalloyed
pleasure. And so I thought did he.
I saw Preston, when now and then I caught a glimpse of him,
looking excessively glum.
Pages:
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517