and Miss Lawrence were behind us. Carter was with some village beauty,
but I saw nothing of Wallace in the grand march.
Later he appeared and danced a waltz with Miss Ross, and they made a
handsome couple. The "hired man" was as well dressed as any gentleman in
the room, and I have never seen a more graceful dancer than that tall,
young Scotchman. LaHume watched him like a hawk. When Wallace claimed
Miss Lawrence for a schottische the glum LaHume stood by the door and
looked as if he would rather fight than dance. Chilvers told him he was
making an ass of himself.
It was a glorious night beneath the radiance of a full moon which
silvered the lace-work of a mackerel sky. I never fully realised what
dancing was until Miss Harding favoured me with a polka. And then we
wandered out into the moonlight, talked about the moon, and hunted for
the Great Dipper.
Even a plain woman looks pretty when with eyes and chin lifted she gazes
at the star-studded heavens, her face profiled against the gleaming orb
of a full moon, but no words of mine can describe the splendid beauty of
Miss Harding in that attitude. I tried to think of something to say, but
was under a spell and could think of nothing, and it was perhaps just as
well. I composed some ripping good sentences before I went to sleep that
night, but it was too late to use them, and I shall not record them
here.
The Great Adventure
THE GREAT ADVENTURE A Play of Fancy in Four Acts by ARNOLD BENNETT 1913 CHARACTERS ILAM CARVE An illustrious Painter ALBERT SHAWN Ilam's Valet
And then we met Wallace and Miss Lawrence, her arm drawn through his,
her face lifted toward his, and her tongue going when she was not
laughing. They were "walking out" a dance, and evidently enjoying it.
Mr. Harding had the time of his life. He danced with stout farm wives,
slender village maidens, and executed a clog dance which made the barn
shudder on its foundations. He led the singing, told stories to groups
of farmers who shouted with laughter, and refused to go home until Mrs.
Harding took him by the arm and fairly dragged him away.
I walked home with Miss Harding.
[Illustration: "Mr. Harding ... executed a clog dance"]
ENTRY NO. XII
THE ST. ANDREWS SWING
A week has passed since I made the last entry in this diary, and a
number of peculiar things have happened.
