's have a couple of extra good turns just to
make up for lost time," and he took her hand and started off on a fine,
free swing, Nan gliding beside him in such perfect accord that it
seemed as if one impulse moved them both. They swung apart rejoined,
and swung apart again. Then, dropping her hand John gave a curving
glide to the right which took him a pace ahead of her, and she,
repeating his movement, but toward the left, passed easily before him
on the other side, so on and on in a sort of progressive chain, until
at a sign they sped backward, reversing the order in which they had
come, and reached the starting point and circled round it, clasping
crossed hands and chatting gayly the while.

John saw that they had already attracted some attention, and it only
made his pulses quicken. He also saw that Nan was oblivious to
everything, but the mere delight of what she was doing, and he did not
think it worth while to remind her that this was not the Steamer, and
that if she wished to be inconspicuous, as she had suggested, she would
better limit herself strictly to a commonplace gait. Instead he bent
toward her, and said in a quick, low undertone, "I'll bet a quarter
you've forgotten how to cut your name."

"Oh, have I?" cried Nan, the spur pricking sharply at her pride. "Want
to see me do it?" and off she went accordingly, accomplishing the
difficult figure without a thought of hesitation, and returning to his
side laughing and triumphant.

"Now the spiral! Forward! Left foot first! Now right! Combination!"

John gave the directions in a sort of tense whisper. He was mortally
afraid Nan would become conscious, and see what was going on about her.
But he might have spared himself the trouble. She was absolutely blind
to the crowd that had gathered about them, and all the commendation she
was aware of was that which he gave her in a murmured "Good!" or "Fine!"

A wide circle had been cleared for them, and in it they and one or two
other hardy souls were exhibiting their prowess, while the throng
outside whispered and applauded and made comments on the different
skaters and their respective skill and grace.

"There! That's the serpentine he's doing now! Isn't it pretty?"

"It must be frightfully hard to go backward like that!"

"I should think he'd fall on his head!"

"Look! See! She's starting off again! Doesn't she do it well?"

"Who is she, anyway?"

Nan had completed her figure, and was wai