I was
not slow to take advantage of it.

During the progress of the dance, when "Gents to the right and balance"
was called, the Doctor left his cross-eyed partner to make the round of
the set. I rushed up to her immediately and said as quickly as possible:

"My dear Miss, you must not dance the Doctor so hard. He has fits, and
is liable to fall over in one at any moment. Why, in driving along in a
carriage he is liable to drop right out in the middle of the road,
leaving the horse to go to destruction."

"Thank you, thank you," she said.

I then stepped back to await results.

While talking with her, I noticed the Doctor eying me with suspicion,
but my interview was so very short that he appeared relieved on my
leaving her.

By this time he came balancing around, with his plug hat on the back of
his head, his spectacles hanging over his nose, and grasping his
gold-headed cane about the center with his left hand, and still
retaining in his right hand a soiled napkin which he had brought from
the table and mistaken for his handkerchief, he came balancing up to his
partner with a regular Highland-fling step, a most fascinating and
bewitching smile on his countenance, and looked her straight in the
face.

She looked completely dumbfounded, seemed to have instantly lost
interest in all worldly affairs, and stood stock still, staring
cross-eyed at the Doctor, as if expecting to see him frothing and
foaming at the mouth.

He then seized her about the waist, fairly lifting her from the floor;
after swinging her two or three times around, again stood her up where
he found her, when he seemed to suddenly comprehend that something was
wrong, and instantly changed countenance.

The young lady then turned to him and said very reluctantly:

"Doctor, I wish to ask you to excuse me from our engagement this
evening."

Suddenly remembering my interview with her, he said:

"What did that ---- red-headed hyena say to you? What did he say? What
did he say? Tell me; tell me, quick! What did he say? I must know--I
must know."

"Oh, nothing much, Doctor."

"I demand to know immediately. Tell me--tell me now."

"Well, Doctor, he says you have fits."

"Fits? fits? What! _I have fits?_ Gracious Heavens!
What--when--how--where is he? Where is the infernal red-headed liar?
Bring him to me and let me paralyze him."

While saying this he was plunging and spinning around in his usual
jumping-jack manner, swinging his cane in o