s two parallel rows, as in Sir
Roger de Coverley. One of the men dancers, shouting in dialect, gave
short staccato directions which the others carried out. This brightened
up the party, and some of the women began to look less gloomy, but a week
of contraddanze would not have brought the best of them up to the
standard of Brancaccia. I approached her and said--

"Signorina, will you do me the favour of dancing with me?"

Another man was about to make a similar request and the girl might have
been in a difficulty had not Peppino, who happened to be hovering near,
made a gesture and taken the other man away. She rose and we danced a
waltz. As we went round and round I saw Peppino talking with the other
man and watching us, and then it flashed into my head that he had planned
all this. He and Brancaccia were in love with one another, any one could
tell that, and he wanted me to meet her so that he could talk to me about
her afterwards. I said to Brancaccia--

"What is Peppino saying to the gentleman?"

She, looking up and smiling, in an amused and friendly way, said--

"Oh! Peppino is always talking to people."

"Some of them seem to enjoy his conversation."

"Do you mean the gentleman?" she said, looking away.

"No, I do not," I replied, and she blushed delightfully.

As I led her back to her seat, I said, "If Peppino asks me about my
partner, I shall tell him that I have just danced with the most beautiful
and charming young lady in the world, and that her future husband,
whoever he may be, will be an extremely fortunate man."

She replied, "Thank you very much, but I do not suppose Peppino will ask
you anything about me."

"I shall tell him what I think of you whether he asks me or not," said I,
bowing.

It was now nearly two o'clock and I got Peppino to take me away.
Remembering what Brancaccia had said, I began at once--

"What a wonderfully beautiful and charming girl Brancaccia is; she seems
to me to be the most desirable young lady I have ever met." There was a
pause, and I added, "You are a bachelor, Peppino, Brancaccia is unmarried
and she is quite different from all the other young ladies."

"That," he replied, "is what says my mother. But womans it is always
like that. First she will be mother, not satisfied; then she will be
grandmother, not satisfied."

"Of course, if you are too much occupied there is an end of the matter.
But, you know, you have as much time as any one else, twent