have the third, and so disappoint somebody
else?" he said, laughing.

If I did not talk much with Mr. Thorold in intervals of dancing, at
least we did not talk nonsense. In the next pause he remarked that he
saw I was fond of this amusement.

"I think I like everything," I told him.

"Are the hills better than this?" he whispered.

"Oh, yes!" I said. "Don't you think so?"

He smiled, and said "truly he did." "You have been over the Flirtation
walk, of course?" he added.

"I do not know which it is."

He smiled again, that quick illuminating smile, which seemed to
sparkle in his hazel eyes; and nodded his head a little.

"I had the pleasure to see you there, very early one morning."

"Oh, is that it?" I said. "I have been down that way from the hotel
very often."

"That way leads to it. You were upon it, where you were sitting. You
have not been through it yet? May I show it to you some day?
To-morrow?"

I agreed joyfully; and then asked who were certain of the cadets whom
I saw about the room, with rosettes of ribbon and long streamers on
the breast of their grey coats?

"Those are the Managers," said my companion. "You will see enough of
them. It is their duty to introduce poor fellows who want partners."

I did not see much of them, however, that evening. As soon as I was
released from that dance, Capt. Percival brought up Capt. Lascelles;
and somebody else, Mr. Sandford, I believe, introduced Lt. Vaux, and
Major Fairbairn; and Major Pitt was another, I believe. And Col.
Walruss brought up his son, who was in the corps of cadets. They all
wanted to dance with me; so it was lucky Mr. Thorold had secured his
second dance, or I could not have given it to him. I went over and
over again the same succession of topics, in the intervals of standing
still. How the day had been warm, and the evening kept up its
character; the hotels were full now; the cadets well off to have so
many ladies; dancing a pleasant pastime, and West Point a nice place.
I got so accustomed to the remarks I might expect, that my mouth was
ready with an assenting "yes" before the speaker began. But the
talking was a small part of the business, after all; and the evening
went merrily for me, till on a sudden a shrill piercing summons of
drum and fife, rolling as it were into our very ears, put a stop to
proceedings. Midway in the movement the dancers stopped; there was a
hurried bow and curtsey, and an instant scattering of all the
gre