you learned. I'll take you on my side, because papa
always beats me. I'll teach you."

So there was the jolliest of hours spent in this way, all of them
laughing at Peter's shots, and at Leonore's attempts to show him how.
"Every woman ought to play billiards," Peter thought, when it was ended.
"It's the most graceful sight I've seen in years."

Leonore said, "You get the ideas very nicely, but you hit much too hard.
You can't hit a ball too softly. You pound it as if you were trying to
smash it."

"It's something I really must learn," said Peter, who had refused over
and over again in the past.

"I'll teach you, while you are here," said Leonore.

Peter did not refuse this time.

Nor did he refuse another lesson. When they had drifted into the
drawing-room, Leonore asked: "Have you been learning how to valse?"

Peter smiled at so good an American using so European a word, but said
seriously, "No. I've been too busy."

"That's a shame," said Leonore, "because there are to be two dances this
week, and mamma has written to get you cards."

"Is it very hard?" asked Peter.

"No," said Leonore. "It's as easy as breathing, and much nicer."

"Couldn't you teach me that, also?"

"Easily. Mamma, will you play a valse? Now see." Leonore drew her skirts
back with one hand, so as to show the little feet, and said: "one, two,
three, so. One, two, three, so. Now do that."

Peter had hoped that the way to learn dancing was to take the girl in
one's arms. But he recognized that this would follow. So he set to work
manfully to imitate that dainty little glide. It seemed easy as she did
it. But it was not so easy when he tried it.

"Oh, you clumsy," said Leonore laughing. "See. One, two, three, so. One,
two, three, so."

Peter forgot to notice the step, in his admiration of the little feet
and the pretty figure.

"Well," said Leonore after a pause, "are you going to do that?"

So Peter tried again, and again, and again. Peter would have done it all
night, with absolute contentment, so long as Leonore, after every
failure, would show him the right way in her own person.

Finally she said, "Now take my hands. No. Way apart, so that I can see
your feet. Now. We'll try it together. One, two, change. One, two,
change."

Peter thought this much better, and was ready to go on till strength
failed. But after a time, Leonore said, "Now. We'll try it the true way.
Take my hand so and put your arm so. That's the way. Only ne