"You? not taught? it seems incredible. But let me teach you. Will you? Teach you! you would dance by intention. And would love it--madly--as I did years ago. Come with me, will you?"
"Oh, no," I said, half frightened, shrinking back, "I am not going to dance--ever."
"Perhaps that is as well," he said in a low tone, meeting my eye for an instant, and telling me by that sudden brilliant gleam from his, that then he would be spared the pain of ever seeing me dancing with another.
"But let me teach you something," he said after a moment. "Let me teach you German--will you?" He sank down in a chair by the table, and leaning forward, repeated his question eagerly.
"Oh, yes, I should like it so much--if--."
"If--if what? If it could be arranged without frightening and embarrassing you, you mean?"
"I wonder if you are not more afraid of being frightened and embarrassed than of any other earthly trial. There are worse things that come to us, Miss d'Estrée. But I will arrange about the German, and you need have no terror. How will I arrange? No matter--when Mrs. Hollenbeck asks you to join a class in German, you will join it, will you not?"
"Anything? take care. I may fill up a check for thousands, if you give a blank."
"I didn't give a blank; anything about German's what I meant."
"Ah, that's safer, but not half so generous. And yet you're one who might be generous, I think."
"I've nothing to tell you about it," he answered, "only that you've promised to learn."
"But where are we to say our lessons, and what books are we to Study?"
"Would you like to say a lesson now and get one step in advance of all the others?"
"O yes! I shall need at least as much grace as that."
"Then say this after me: 'ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN, WAS SIE MICH LEHREN.' Begin. 'ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN'--"
"'ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN'--but what does it mean?"
"Oh, that is not important. Learn it first. Can you not trust me? 'ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN, WAS SIE MICH LEHREN.'"
"'ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN'--ah, you look as if my pronunciation were not good."
"I was not thinking of that; you pronounce very well. 'ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN--'"
"ICH WILL ALLES LERNEN, WAS SIE MICH LEHREN:--there _now_, tell me what it means."
"Not until you learn it; _encore une fois_."