"Now, left foot forward--one, two, three, four. No; left foot, I said. That's it. Now rise a little on your toes. Don't be so heavy, and for Heaven's sake look as cheerful as you can!" "This is awful!" Cosden ejaculated, mopping his forehead. "Don't you think it's too warm a day to begin?" "It isn't warm; it's really cool, and you haven't begun to begin yet. Now start in again. Left foot,--left I say, one, two--oh! that miserable victrola has stopped!" "Let me wind it up," Cosden insisted quickly, glad of the opportunity to struggle with something tangible. "Now we'll try again," Edith said amiably. "This time get started before the music runs down. Watch me just a moment. There,--now you know what to do. Left, dear man, left,--not right, and rise on your toes, one, two, three, four. Why don't you pay attention to the music?" "I think I could learn better without the music. It throws me off." "Move with it; then it will help you." "I can't; it mixes me up." "Don't you feel any impulse to move your feet when you hear that music?" "Yes; I feel an inordinate desire to run out of the room." "But, seriously, doesn't the rhythm of that one-step make you instinctively want to dance?" "Not the slightest. I never wanted to dance in my life until now, and only now because you tell me that it's part of the game." "Did you ever play any musical instrument?" "Oh, yes; when I was a boy I played the bones in a minstrel show." "Well, there's a ray of hope.--Wind up the victrola again, and we'll start all over. You do wind it beautifully!" "This is too big a job you've undertaken," he told her as they again stood facing each other. "Let's call it off." "No, indeed," Edith protested. "It is only fair to say that you are not what would be called a natural dancer, but that will bring all the more glory to your instructor when once you've learned. Why, look at the tricks they teach animals! I'm not a bit discouraged, are you?" "Are we down-hearted?" he echoed in a spirit of bravado. "Not a bit of it; now we'll dance together, and I'll try to pull you around. There, put your arm around my waist,--that's right. Hold me closer,--don't be afraid. Imagine I'm your sister if it will keep you from being embarrassed. Left foot forward--ta, ta, ta, ta--that's better. No, let me lead. There, we can go forwards and backwards anyway, but you mustn't step on my feet. That's the first thing to learn,--dance on your own feet." "I beg your pardon--" "That's all right; I don't mind it at all. But when we stop dancing, you know, you must take your arm away from my waist. How quickly you overcame that early embarrassment!" "I don't intend to give you another chance to suggest that I'm afraid," Cosden retorted. "I may not know much about girls or dancing, but if you think I haven't nerve enough to put my arm around your waist,--well, it's up to me to demonstrate."