sted que demos una vueltecita?'

If the lady is 'sorry to say that she is engaged,' her answer will be,
'Lo siento; estoy comprometida.' If, on the contrary, she 'will have
much pleasure,' she replies, 'Con mucho gusto.'

It is not unusual for a gentleman who is not dancing to _borrow_ another
gentleman's partner for a 'carabina,' or round or two; for which purpose
the aspirant for that privilege has only to approach the dancing couple,
and in his politest tone say--addressing his remarks indirectly to
both:--

'Will the senorita be good enough to consent, with you, to my taking a
turn with her?' or, as it is better expressed in Spanish, 'La senorita
sera bastante amable para que con usted consiente el darme una
carabina?'

Sometimes when the aspirant is very intimate with the couple, he
observes simply: 'Chico; una carabina?' (A turn, old fellow?) and
without waiting for a reply, seizes his friend's partner round the waist
and waltzes her away.

Occasionally the carabina is taken without asking; but this is done only
by certain pollos who are vain enough to believe that they confer an
honour upon the ladies of their preference by confining their evening's
gyrations to carabinas. These attentions, however, sometimes involve the
pollo in a quarrel with the lady's partner, as happened once with a
certain Acha--a Spanish officer from Guantanamo--who fought a duel for
the sake of a carabina which he had danced illicitly with a famous
creole beauty called La Nena.

It frequently happens that the much-desired carabina is graciously
conceded to an unfortunate pollito, or very young gentleman, who has
been unable to secure a partner. Tunicu often avails himself of a
pollito when he happens to be afflicted with an uncongenial partner, or
one whose manner of dancing does not satisfy him!

The famous 'danza criolla' is the favourite dance of the evening:
indeed, with the exception of a vagrant polka and a mazurka or two, this
dance occupies the entire programme.

The danza criolla requires great practice before it can be successfully
accomplished; but no amount of private tuition will help the novice to
acquire the approved step. The best school for the study and pursuit of
the art is a mulatto ball, or such a ball as the Philharmonic society
gives on every Palm Sunday at seven in the morning. There is a very
mixed attendance at the last-mentioned ball, as the members usually
invite their 'guariminicas,' or companions of