his head about _any_ of the
always-with-us difficulties of life, as long as he is dancing art Ashley
quadrille."

Mr. Welles concurred in this with feeling. "I'd no idea I would ever
experience anything so . . . so . . . well, I tell you, I thought I'd left
_fun_ behind me, years and years ago."

"Oh, what you've had is nothing compared to what you're going to have,"
Marise told him. "Just wait till old Nate strikes up the opening bars of
'The Whirlwind' and see the roof of the house fly off. See here," she
laid her hand on his arm. "This is leap-year. I solemnly engage you to
dance 'The Whirlwind' with me." She made the gesture of the little-boy
athlete, feeling the biceps of one arm, moving her forearm up and down.
"I'm in good health, and good muscle, because I've been out stirring up
the asparagus bed with a spading-fork. I can shove you around as well as
old Mrs. Powers, if I do say it who shouldn't."

Vincent looked down at her, bubbling with light-hearted merriment, and
thought, "There is no end to the variety of her moods!"

She glanced up at him, caught his eyes on her and misinterpreted their
wondering expression. "You think I'm just silly and childish, don't
you?" she told him challengingly. "Oh, don't be such an everlasting
adult. Life's not so serious as all that!"

He stirred to try to protest, but she went on, "It's dancing that sets
me off. Nelly Powers and I are crazy about it. And so far as my
observation of life extends, our dances here are the only social
functions left in the world, that people really _enjoy_ and don't go to
merely because it's the thing to. It always goes to my head to see
people enjoy themselves. It's so sweet."

Mr. Welles gave her one of his affectionate pats on her hand. Vincent
asked her casually, "What's the idea of making a family party of it and
bringing the children too?"

She answered dashingly, "If I answer you in your own language, I'd say
that it's because their households are in such a low and lamentably
primitive condition that they haven't any slave-labor to leave the
children with, and so bring them along out of mere brute necessity. If I
answer you in another vocabulary, I'd say that there is a close feeling
of family unity, and they _like_ to have their children with them when
they are having a good time, and find it pleasant to see mothers dancing
with their little boys and fathers with their little girls."

* * * * *