nd that they should
have a dance.

Lucy opened her eyes. Nobody before had ever dared to make such a
suggestion in the house of Sunnyside. Lucy, it is true, had dancing
lessons from a master who came once a week to instruct her and other
girls in the winter season, and she had occasionally gone to a
children's party. But beyond that she had never danced, looking forward
to it, however, as a possible recreation by-and-by.

Rosamund's clear voice was now heard.

"Let us push back the sofas. This is a splendid room. We can roll up the
rugs in a twinkling. Where is Mrs. Merriman? She will play the dance
music. Oh, there are seven of us--one too many. Perhaps you will play
for us, Lucy?"

"But I don't know any dance music," said Lucy; "and then mother would
not like the rugs being disturbed. The room is arranged just as father
and mother wish it to be. I think perhaps"----

She colored painfully.

"We will do nothing without leave, of course," said Phyllis Flower.
"I'll just run and find Mrs. Merriman and ask her."

Before Lucy could prevent her, Phyllis had darted out of the room,
returning in a minute or two with the required permission.

"It's all right, girls," she said; "we can trip it on the light
fantastic toe as long as ever we please, and the rugs may go to
Hong-kong for all Mrs. Merriman cares."

Lucy colored with rage. Rosamund gave a quiet smile--a smile which
seemed to denote power. Phyllis's dancing eyes lit for a moment on
Lucy's face. Those eyes said in the most provoking manner, "I told you
so." And then some one went to the piano, and a minute or two later all
the girls, Lucy included, were dancing round and round the room in the
merry waltz.

Even Lucy enjoyed it when once it had begun, and the little performer at
the piano played well, and kept excellent time. And by-and-by Lucy
forgot herself, and could not help laughing when Rosamund seized her
round the waist and whirled her round and round, and taught her to
reverse, and instructed her in one or two other matters unknown to Lucy
up to the present.

The dance lasted for over an hour; and just in the midst of it, when
Lucy was really laughing in quite a heart-whole manner, she raised her
eyes and saw no less a person than Mr. Merriman himself standing in the
doorway. He was smiling, and his eyes were fixed on Rosamund's face.

The moment Rosamund saw him she stopped at once, and said to Lucy, "Is
that your father, the great professor?"