The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-03-03
OLD STEP To A NEW TUNE

Zone, two, three, four, five, sIl
One, two, three, four, five, six MoE
evenly, monsieur, if you please. You
must not rise so much on the fou
Again -Four, five, SIX One, two
three, four, five, six T. with a mono-
onous regularity that seemed to tel
of round of more or less stupid pups
succeeding one another unendingly.
But Mademoiselle Gervaux, fashion
able dancing mistress of Silver stree,
Golden Square, and every one ADMITTED
who had ever taken a lesson of her ON
of the prettiest girls to be met with i
town or country, had quick, Laughing
eyes, which at present told of more ID
terest than her business-like tone gavei
hint of. She was of dark complexion
with rather vivid color, and below th
middle height, aud was more richl,
dressed than, knowing her station, oni
would have expected.
Her present pupil had observed this.
and, bent as he was on attaining the oh
ject for which he had sought Silve
street, and on attaining it as quickly a
possible, he had yet given more atteu
ton than he otherwise would TO lAs
teachers personal appearance.
1t was only IL o'clock In the morning.
and, however dazzling such persons may
appear at their weekly assemblies and
evening classes, he had not expected t.
find such a paragon of neatness an6
taste at that hour in the morning. Cir
cling round the room by oneself, will
ones hands hanging in an ostentatiousl,
easy position, and ones figure rehecte(
in number of full-length mirrors,
not way in which a young man, even
of little vanity, would care to presen
himself before a pretty girl and tn,
Vicomte Alphonse Carmignol, of tn,
French navy, was quite as vain-havinl
indeed such reason as a good looking
face and slight figure can give mai
to be so-as most young men.
He was Frenchman who had beel
for some time serving abroad, and witt
distinction. He had Just arrived il
London, and, rich, high-born and in
small way famous, he found himsel
warmly welcomed. Invitations to al
the best houses flowed in and Monsieu
10 Vicomte found it necessary to get tn
assistance of friends well acquainted
with London society before he could de
termine which OF his cards he should
use, and which he should tacitly or ex.
pressly lay aside.
But of his many invitations one had
been accepted beforehand, and, in fact,
was the cause of his visit to England.
He was engaged to be married, and had
come over to be engaged to his Jidncee
literally to be introduced to her, for
they had never met. Their families had,
in French fashion, made up the match,
and the two persons whom English
people would have considered most in
terested had never come together at all.
This was Monday. On Wednesday
week there was to be a state dinner at
the French Embassy, followed by bal, :,
for the purpose of introducing Monsieur
Alphonse to the daughter of the Marquis
de la Penthiere, French Ambassador at
st. James. A little of English preiu-
dice had been allowed TO creep in, in
Difference to which the Vieonte had re-
ceived private invitation to tea on the
same afternoon, until which time, owing
to her absence on visit in Shropshire,
the young lady would be invisible. In
one more week from that date they were
to be married. queer arrangement to
the English minds, but TO the two famu-
les, and indeed to the two persons who
in English eyes would have been consid-
cred victims to 1t, the most natural state
of things In the world.
Oddly enough, the Vicomte could not
dance the newest waltz which was then
the rage in London. New descriptions
of that dance succeeded one another SO
quickly that in these days it is easy for
sailor, French by birth and fashlona-
BILE by station though he be, to return
from the service of his country and find
himself still cat sea " on the well-waxed
boards of ballroom. Such state OF
things could not be permitted to con-
tinue, more especially as Mademolselle
de Ia Penthiere would certainly expect
her ffdncee to dance, and to dance wen.
So the Vicomte had called IN SILVER
street one morning at an early hour,
had sent up his card, and had been duly
received by Mademoiselle Gervaux, and
had taken his first lesson at once. she
was not at all like the dancing mistress
whom, from the description given by
the friends who had recommended him
to apply to her, he had expected to see.
But she evidently knew how to dance,
and she was very handsome and lady
like; and the young man found new
kind of pleasure in returning to take his
second lesson.
"Mademoiselle," said he, as he
stopped to rest and sat down on a still
backed chair, "shall 1 be perfect by
Wednesday ?"
In his French way, so entirely desti,
tute of shyness, he had told her all
about the important event which was to
come off on that Wednesday, had ex-
planned how anxious he was to see his
future wife, and how graceful and