"I'm glad to hear you say that, Miss Winn. They are talking of having a dancing-class in school. I hope mother will let me join it." "And they teach it in schools there." "And why shouldn't they here?" said Polly. To be sure. Cynthia was much interested and made Polly promise to come again and tell her all about it. Old Salem was awakening rapidly from her rigid torpor. "I wonder if I could ever have a party," she said to Cousin Leverett that evening. "When father comes home we might have what they did at the Perkinses when they went in their new place--a house-warming. Is that like a party?" "About the same thing." "Cousin Elizabeth thinks it wicked. Wouldn't she think dancing wicked?" "I am afraid she would." Cynthia sighed. No, she couldn't have a party here. She waited quite eagerly for Polly's account. The little girl was in her own room. Miss Winn had gone out to get some medicine. Cynthia tried to be well sometimes, so she would not have to take the nauseous stuff. No one had invented medicated sugar pills at that time. She liked Cousin Elizabeth's cough syrup. Polly was overflowing with spirits. "Oh, I want to be big, right away. Bella Saltonstall was there and she's going into company next winter, she says. And she showed us some of the dancing steps and they just bewitch you. It's like this"--and Polly picked up her frock in a dainty manner and whirled about the vacant spaces in the room. "But doesn't it tire you dreadfully? The girls in India stand still a great deal more and just sway about. They come in and dance for you." "Tire you! Oh, no. That's the great fun, to do it yourself. Bella said it was--ex--something, and the word is in the spelling-book, but I never can remember the long words. Oh, I just wish I was fifteen and wasn't going to school any more. And then there's keeping company and getting married, and having your setting out. School seems stupid. There were two boys who wanted to come home with me, but mother said Ben must. Then I wished--well, I wished he was in college. He wants to go. Father says Mr. Leverett has infected him with the craze." "If I was a boy, I'd like to go. Cousin Leverett is going to take me to Harvard next summer when they have their grand closing time." "I'd rather be a girl and have a nice beau." Plainly Polly had been saturated with dissipation. Spring was suggesting her advent. The days were longer. The snow was disappearing. "Oh, Cousin Leverett, look--there are some buds on the trees!" she cried. "Yes. You can see them at intervals through the winter. They are wise little things, and swell and then shrink back in the cold." "I'm so glad. I can soon go out. I get very tired some days. I like summer best." "Yes. I do hope we shall have an early spring." She looked up with smiling gladness.