and gold dust, when all at once he took it in his head
to jump up from his seat and propose a dance; for
Bertha's harp was there, and she had such a hand
upon it as you seldom hear. Dot (sly little piece of
affectation when she chose) said her dancing days
were over; I think because the Carrier was smoking
his pipe, and she liked sitting by him, best. Mrs.
Fielding had no choice, of course, but to say her danc-
ing days were over, after that; and everybody said
the same, except May; May was ready.

  So, May and Edward get up, amid great applause,
to dance alone; and Bertha plays her liveliest tune.

  Well! if you'll believe me, they have not been danc-
ing five minutes, when suddenly the Carrier flings his
pipe away, takes Dot round the waist, dashes out into
the room, and starts off with her, toe and heel, quite
wonderfully. Tackleton no sooner sees this, than he
skims across to Mrs. Fielding, takes her round the
waist, and follows suit. Old Dot no sooner sees this,
than up he is, all alive, whisks off Mrs. Dot in the
middle of the dance, and is the foremost there. Caleb
no sooner sees this, than he clutches Tilly Slowboy by
both hands and goes off at score; Miss Slowboy, firm
in the belief that diving hotly in among the other
couples, and effecting any number of concussions witb
them, is your only principle of footing it.

  Hark! how the Cricket joins the music with its
Chirp, Chirp, Chirp; and how the kettle hums!

     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

  But what is this! Even as I listen to them, blithely
and turn towards Dot, for one last glimpse of a little,
figure very pleasant to me, she and the rest have van-
ished into air, and I am left alone. A Cricket sings
upon the Hearth; a broken child's-toy lies upon the
ground; and nothing else remains.
.