Volume I Part 11 (1/2)
”I have brought you some honey, Miss Benette Will you eat it with your bread? It is better than bonbons, Miss Laura”
”I did not care for the bonbons; I only thought you would like theo to rehearsal, then, as well as the singers?”
”I go to rehearsal in the ballet; and when there is no ballet I sing in the chorus”
”But you are so little: do you always dance?”
”I am always to dance now; I did not until this season”
Her voice was dreamy and cold, the flush had already faded; she seeo, Master Auchester!” and Clara looked at o, or she will have no tea, and will be very tired I aed to you for the sweet yellow honey; I shall keep it in my closet, in that pretty blue jar”
I _would_ have the blue jar, though Lydia wanted ive ood-night Won't you let me shake hands with you, Miss Lemark?” for she still stood apart, like a reed in a sultry day She looked at ht, dear!” I was so inexpressibly touched by the tone, or the --in _her_, that I added, ”Shall I bring you soht?”
”If you please”
”Oh, do go, Master Auchester! I prayed you ten one” And so I was; and this time I was not too late for ly perfect in that which returns upon the soul with a more absolute impression after its abstraction of our faculties has passed away So completely had the fascination of those steps sufficed that I forgot the voice of Miss Benette, resounding all the time, and only associated inbells with the lulling undulation, the quivering feet
All night long, when I drea (as usual), I thought the evening before, a dream
I dared not mention Laura to any one except Millicent, but I could not exist without some species of sympathy; and when I had finished all o out with reed It was a great treat to me to ith her at any time I cannot recollect how I introduced the subject, but I ed to ask so to dance in public
”Of course not,” she replied, directly ”Soed to do so in order to live They excel in that art as others excel in other arts, and it is a rare gift to possess the faculty to excel in that, as in all other arts”
”So, Millicent, she would nota dance-artist any reatest privilege to know true artists; but there are few in the whole world Ho, then, there must be in our little corner of it!”
”You call Mr Davy an artist, I suppose?”
”I think he pursues art as a student, who, having learned its first principles for himself, is anxious to place others in possession of theher mysteries So far I call him philanthropist and aspirant, but scarcely an artist yet”
”Was our conductor an artist?”
”Oh! I should think so, no doubt Why did you ask me about artists, Charles?”
”Oh, I suppose you would not call a little girl an artist if she were as clever as possible There is a little girl at the class who sits very near reat favorite of Miss Benette Such a curious child, Millicent! I could not endure her till yesterday evening She was there when I went to practise, all ready dressed for the theatre
She looked a ,--not like a person at all, but as if she could fly; and she wore such beautiful clothes!”
Millicent was evidently very much surprised
”She lives with Miss Benette, then, Charles?”