"Why not?" she answered. She stood pressing the point of her shoe into a crack in the floor.
"We're to have a party at the Parsonage on Friday—would you give me a dance then?"
"With pleasure; which would you like?" she answered, trying her best to assume a "society" manner.
"A quadrille?" said Ola; thinking: "Quadrilles are so long."
"The second quadrille is disengaged," answered the lady.
"And a galop?"
"Yes, thank you; the first galop," she replied, with a little hesitation.
"And a polka?"
"No, no! no more," cried the fair one, looking at Ola with alarm.
At the same moment, Hans came rushing along at full speed.
"Oh, how lucky I am to find you! but in what company!"
Thereupon he took possession of the fair one in his amiable fashion, and drew her away with him to find her wraps and join the others.
"A quadrille and a galop; but no more—so so! so so!" repeated Cousin Ola. He stood as though rooted to the spot. At last he became aware that he was alone. He hastily seized a hat, slunk out by the back way, sneaked through the garden, and clambered with great difficulty over the garden fence not far from the gate which stood ajar.
