April change
as he approached, and she saw he meant to ask her to dance. And,
as they swam out into the maelstrom, he noticed it, and remarked
that it _was_ rather warm, to which she replied by a cheerful nod.
Presently there came into Richard's mind the thought that he was
really an excellent dancer; but he did not recall that he had
always formed the same pleasing estimate of himself when he danced
with Laura, nor realize that other young men enjoyed similar
self-help when dancing with her. And yet he repeated to her what
Ray had said of her dancing, and when she laughed as in
appreciation of a thing intended humorously, he laughed, too, but
insisted that she did dance "very well indeed." She laughed again
at that, and they danced on, not talking. He had no sense of
"guiding" her; there was no feeling of effort whatever; she seemed
to move spontaneously with his wish, not to his touch; indeed, he
was not sensible of touching her at all.

"Why, Laura," he exclaimed suddenly, "you dance _beautifully_!"

She stumbled and almost fell; saved herself by clutching at his
arm; he caught her; and the pair stopped where they were, in the
middle of the floor. A flash of dazed incredulity from her dark
eyes swept him; there was something in it of the child dodging an
unexpected blow.

"Did I trip you?" he asked anxiously.

"No," she laughed, quickly, and her cheeks grew even redder. "I
tripped myself. Wasn't that too bad--just when you were thinking
that I danced well! Let's sit down. May we?"

They went to some chairs against a wall. There, as they sat, Cora
swung by them, dancing again with her lieutenant, and looking up
trancedly into the gallant eyes of the triumphant and intoxicated
young man. Visibly, she was a woman with a suitor's embracing arm
about her. Richard's eyes followed them.

"Ah, don't!" said Laura in a low voice.

He turned to her. "Don't what?"

"I didn't mean to speak out loud," she said tremulously. "But I
meant: don't look so troubled. It doesn't mean anything at
all--her coquetting with that bird of passage. He's going away in
the morning."

"I don't think I was troubling about that."

"Well, whatever it was"--she paused, and laughed with a plaintive
timidity--"why, just don't trouble about it!"

"Do I look very much troubled?" he asked seriously.

"Yes. And you don't look very gay when you're not!" She laughed
with more assurance now. "I think you're always the wistfulest
looking man I