Page:The Tsar's Window.djvu/75

 more courage than any of my acquaintance. The young women flock together at evening entertainments; and, should any one gentleman talk more than ten minutes consecutively with the same girl, he might as well declare himself at once,—for that would be expected of him.

Waltzing was going on when we entered the ball-room. Sacha approached me, bowed so low that I could see the part in his hair, placed one arm about my waist, and danced me twice around the room, like a whirlwind. He stopped as suddenly as he had started, left me with another bow, in the same spot from which he had taken me, and passed on to Judith, with whom he did likewise. Another young man followed Sacha's example. Breathless and bewildered, I was whirled about the room by a dozen different partners in as many minutes.

The waltz continued for nearly half an hour. When it was over, the hostess and the gentleman who seemed to be directing all the dances came to me with partners, whom they introduced; and I soon found myself engaged for all the quadrilles. It is not the custom to engage partners for the waltzes; they are taken out of the crowd, as I have described.

Such fast dancing tired me, and, worse still, tore my dress. Couples ran into each other, without the slightest compunction; and, as most of the gentlemen were in uniform, many were the scratches which my poor arms received. I refused all invitations for the mazurka, and stationed myself among the mothers and chaperones, who lined the walls, and looked intensely bored. I was soon