Mr. Langenau was waiting for me at the piazza steps. He fixed his eyes on mine as if waiting for my permission to speak again. But I fastened my eyes upon the ground, and holding Benny tightly by the hand, went on into the house. Chapter IX. A DANCE. It is impossible to love and to be wise. _Bacon_. Niente piu tosto se secca che lagrime. "This is what we must do about it," said Kilian, as we sat around the breakfast-table. "If you are still in a humor for the dance to-night, I will order Tom and Jerry to be brought up at once, and Miss Pauline and I will go out and deliver all the invitations." "Of which there are about five," said Charlotte Benson. "You can spare Tom and Jerry and send a small boy." "But what if I had rather go myself?" he said, "and Miss Pauline needs the air. Now there are--let me see," and he began to count up the dancing inhabitants of the neighborhood. "Will you write notes or shall we leave a verbal message at each door?" "Oh leave a verbal message by all means," said Charlotte Benson, a little sharply. "It won't be quite _en règle_, as Miss d'Estrée doesn't know the people, but so unconventional and fresh." "I do know them," I retorted, much annoyed, "conventionally at least: for they have all called upon me, though I didn't see them all. But I shall be very glad if you will take my place." "Oh, thank you; I wasn't moving an amendment for that end. We have made our arrangements for the morning, irrespective of the delivery of cards." "I shall have time to write the notes first, if Sophie would rather have notes sent," said Henrietta, who wrote a good hand and was very fond of writing people's notes for them. "Oh, thank you, dear; yes, perhaps it would be best, and save Pauline and Kilian trouble." So Henrietta went grandly away to write her little notes: a very large ship on a very small voyage. "And how about your music, Sophie," said Kilian, who was anxious to have all business matters settled relating to the evening. "Well, I suppose you had better go for the music-teacher from the village; he plays very well for dancing, and it is a mercy to me and to poor Henrietta, who would have to be pinned to the piano for the evening, if we didn't have him." "As to that, I thought we had a music-teacher of our own: can't your German be made of any practical account? Or is he only to be looked at and revered for his great powers?" "I didn't engage Mr. Langenau to play for us to dance," said Sophie. "Nor to lounge about the parlor every evening either," muttered Kilian, pushing away his cup of coffee. "Now, Mr. Kilian, pray don't let our admiration of the tutor drive you into any bitterness of feeling," cried Charlotte Benson, who had been treasuring up a store of little slights from Kilian. "You know he can't be blamed for it, poor man."