Blackwell, Abigail said in a saucytone. She looked at Henry as if he were delicious. It was alwaysunnerving and unwelcome to receive such interest from a girl.Likewise,Henry managed.Louisbutted in. Hello, again, Miss DeWitt. He bowed, sweeping offhis hat.Oh,hello, Mr. Briggs, Abigail said, her expression closed off, asfastidious as a cat with wet feet. How nice to see you again.Thepleasure is mine, Louis assured her, and judging from Abigail'sexpression, Henry thought that Louis was right.Well,Albert, she said, if youd like, I'll wait in the carriageuntil you're done and we can go home together.Yougo ahead, he told her. I can take the omnibus.Suityourself. She turned and smiled at Henry. She had a dimple. Itwas so nice to meet you, Mr. Blackwell.Thepleasure was mine, Henry said blandly.Shewalked away in a swish of skirts, her slave at her heels. Louiswatched her go with obvious longing, and Henry felt sorry for him.Martinleaned close and whispered in his ear, That girl is very forward,Sir, with clear disapproval, and Henry realized happily thatMartin was jealous.Henryhad had lessons with Mr. Gill before, back when he was still youngenough for mixed classes with girls, and remembered him asill-tempered and sharp-eyed, putting up with no nonsense from hisboisterous charges and taking dance very seriously. Mr. Gill was anold man, older than Father, but tall and elegant and imperious, withwavy silver hair flowing dramatically back from a high forehead. Asthe boys milled about in the coatroom, putting up their hats andchanging into their dancing shoes, Mr. Gill paced the ballroom floorwith an expression of profound displeasure, and so the boyscongregated in the doorway, unwilling to enter the ballroom andperhaps incur his wrath.Comein! Mr. Gill clapped his hands to hurry them. You're wastingtime! Reluctantly, boys began to file into the vast room. Henrylooked around and saw boys from other schools, so many unfamiliarfaces. Boys waved to one another across the room until Mr. Gillshouted at them. Stop flapping your hands! Socialize afterclass!Therewere two women in the room. Mr. Gill introduced them: the woman atthe piano was Mrs. Gill, and she would be the accompanist; theyounger woman standing alongside was Miss Gill, their adult daughter,who would be helping to demonstrate the steps. The boys collectivelymurmured a How do you do? and the women politely inclined theirheads.Theywould be dancing the Parisian Varieties quadrille. Perhaps, Mr. Gillsuggested, they had seen it danced before, at a family party oranother ball. The quadrille consisted of five figures: a waltz, apolka, yet another waltz, a mazurka, and a final waltz. It would takeperhaps a quarter of an hour to dance completely once mastered.Butwe must start with the basics, Mr. Gill said. Let us see justhow badly you waltz.Everyboy in the room had had dancing lessons as a child until at least age12, but that wasn't to say they'd been any good at dancing. Henry hadalways been a good dancer, though, and he knew that Martin had hadlessons up until the week he was sold, so he was not nervous aboutthe waltz.Mr.Gill made them line up and sent them across the room in whirlingpairs, his critiques delivered with frigid condescension and