seem to've been pretty busy this
week you've been here!"

She pressed her bouquet to her face again, and laughed into it, not
displeased. She made no other comment, and for another period neither
spoke. Meanwhile the music stopped; loud applause insisted upon its
renewal; an encore was danced; there was an interlude of voices; and the
changing of partners began.

"Well," said George finally, "I must say you don't seem to be much of a
prattler. They say it's a great way to get a reputation for being wise,
never saying much. Don't you ever talk any?"

"When people can understand," she answered.

He had been looking moodily out at the ballroom but he turned to her
quickly, at this, saw that her eyes were sunny and content, over the top
of her bouquet; and he consented to smile.

"Girls are usually pretty fresh!" he said. "They ought to go to a man's
college about a year: they'd get taught a few things about freshness!
What you got to do after two o'clock to-morrow afternoon?"

"A whole lot of things. Every minute filled up."

"All right," said George. "The snow's fine for sleighing: I'll come for
you in a cutter at ten minutes after two."

"I can't possibly go."

"If you don't," he said, "I'm going to sit in the cutter in front of the
gate, wherever you're visiting, all afternoon, and if you try to go out
with anybody else he's got to whip me before he gets you." And as she
laughed--though she blushed a little, too--he continued, seriously:
"If you think I'm not in earnest you're at liberty to make quite a big
experiment!"

She laughed again. "I don't think I've often had so large a compliment
as that," she said, "especially on such short notice--and yet, I don't
think I'll go with you.

"You be ready at ten minutes after two."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will!"

"Yes," she said, "I will!" And her partner for the next dance arrived,
breathless with searching.

"Don't forget I've got the third from now," George called after her.

"I won't."

"And every third one after that."

"I know!" she called, over her partner's shoulder, and her voice was
amused--but meek.

When "the third from now" came, George presented himself before her
without any greeting, like a brother, or a mannerless old friend.
Neither did she greet him, but moved away with him, concluding, as she
went, an exchange of badinage with the preceding partner: she had been
talkative enough with him, it appeared. In fact, both George and Mi