the stars came out, and we were told it was time to go back to the
house, we went back hand in hand, firm friends for all life from that
Sunday night.
"There is Mr. Langenau," said Benny; "waiting for you, I should think."
Mr. Langenau was waiting for me at the piazza steps. He fixed his eyes
on mine as if waiting for my permission to speak again. But I fastened
my eyes upon the ground, and holding Benny tightly by the hand, went on
into the house.
Chapter IX.
A DANCE.
It is impossible to love and to be wise.
_Bacon_.
Niente piu tosto se secca che lagrime.
"This is what we must do about it," said Kilian, as we sat around the
breakfast-table. "If you are still in a humor for the dance to-night, I
will order Tom and Jerry to be brought up at once, and Miss Pauline and
I will go out and deliver all the invitations."
"Of which there are about five," said Charlotte Benson. "You can spare
Tom and Jerry and send a small boy."
"But what if I had rather go myself?" he said, "and Miss Pauline needs
the air. Now there are--let me see," and he began to count up the
dancing inhabitants of the neighborhood.
"Will you write notes or shall we leave a verbal message at each door?"
"Oh leave a verbal message by all means," said Charlotte Benson, a
little sharply. "It won't be quite _en regle_, as Miss d'Estree doesn't
know the people, but so unconventional and fresh."
"I do know them," I retorted, much annoyed, "conventionally at least:
for they have all called upon me, though I didn't see them all. But I
shall be very glad if you will take my place."
"Oh, thank you; I wasn't moving an amendment for that end. We have made
our arrangements for the morning, irrespective of the delivery
of cards."
"I shall have time to write the notes first, if Sophie would rather have
notes sent," said Henrietta, who wrote a good hand and was very fond of
writing people's notes for them.
"Oh, thank you, dear; yes, perhaps it would be best, and save Pauline
and Kilian trouble."
So Henrietta went grandly away to write her little notes: a very large
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