 is that standing near the card-room door?« she went on, seeing there the
same stranger with whom Klesmer had been in animated talk on the archery-ground.
»He is a friend of yours, I think.«
    »No, no; an amateur I have seen in town: Lush, a Mr. Lush - too fond of
Meyerbeer and Scribe - too fond of the mechanical-dramatic.«
    »Thanks. I wanted to know whether you thought his face and form required
that his words should be among the meanings of noble music?« Klesmer was
conquered, and flashed at her a delightful smile which made them quite friendly
until she begged to be deposited by the side of her mamma.
    Three minutes afterwards her preparations for Grandcourt's indifference were
all cancelled. Turning her head after some remark to her mother, she found that
he had made his way up to her.
    »May I ask if you are tired of dancing, Miss Harleth?« he began, looking
down with his former unperturbed expression.
    »Not in the least.«
    »Will you do me the honour - the next - or another quadrille?«
    »I should have been very happy,« said Gwendolen, looking at her card, »but I
am engaged for the next to Mr. Clintock - and indeed I perceive that I am doomed
for every quadrille: I have not one to dispose of.« She was not sorry to punish
Mr. Grandcourt's tardiness, yet at the same time she would have liked to dance
with him. She gave him a charming smile as she looked up to deliver her answer,
and he stood still looking down at her with no smile at all.
    »I am unfortunate in being too late,« he said, after a moment's pause.
    »It seemed to me that you did not care for dancing,« said Gwendolen. »I
thought it might be one of the things you had left off.«
    »Yes, but I have not begun to dance with you,« said Grandcourt. Always there
was the same pause before he took up his cue. »You make dancing a new thing, as
you make archery.«
    »Is novelty always agreeable?«
    »No, no - not always.«
    »Then I don't know whether to feel flattered or not. When you had once
danced with me there would be no more novelty in it.«
    »On the contrary; there would probably be much more.«
    »That is deep. I don't understand.«
