Part 2 (1/2)
In the first place, the daintiest little electric broughaile and delicate as a toy--a fairy's chariot Then the fairy herself descended She cannot be described in detail
I caught a gliray-blue eyes shot with lightning, restless, devouring, implacable, indescribably beautiful; a skin wondrously fine, with the purity of marble and the ware, but perfectly for the fire and power of love Really it was rather later that I saw all this; at the tiance and beauty and terrible power
She passed froe supremely unconscious of the hundreds of eyes turned on her, and a general sigh of satisfaction and appreciation ca as she disappeared within her compartment I turned to Janvour
”Who is she?”
”What?” he exclaiues one a barbarian”
”Nevertheless, I do not know her”
”Well, you will have an opportunity She is going to America, and, since she is on this train, she will, of course, take the same boat as yourself But, my friend, beware!”
”But who is she?”
”Desiree Le Mire”
Chapter II
BEGINNING THE DANCE
It developed, luckily for me, that my lawyers had allowed themselves to become unduly excited over a trifle A discrepancy had been discovered in ent's accounts; it was clearly established that he had been speculating; but the fellow's excessive modesty and moderation had saved me from any serious inconvenience or loss
Some twenty thousand or so was the amount, and I did not even putit I placed a friend of mine, a plodder and one of those chaps who are honest on account of lack of ihed with mild relief
My experiment with Harry had proved a coement of his own affairs, he had shoisdom and restraint none the less welcolad to see lad to see him
There was little new in town
Bob Garforth, having gambled away his entire patrimony, had shot and killed hiossip and s Driscoll; the new director of the Metropolitan Museum had announced hiress; and Desiree Le Mire had consented to a teeks'
engagement at the Stuyvesant
The French dancer was the favorite topic of discussion in all circles
The newspapers were full of her and filled entire colus, princes, and dukes who had been at her feet
Bets were made on her nationality, the color of her eyes, the value of her pearls, the nu, in soun of a Western baddepartement at the Stuyvesant would open in ten days, and when the box-office opened for the advance sale every seat for every performance was sold within a few hours
In the reat Le Mire kept herself secluded in her hotel
She had appeared but once in the public dining-room, and on that occasion had nearly caused a riot, whereupon she had discreetly withdrawn She remained unseen while the town shouted itself hoarse
I had not mentioned her name to Harry, nor had I heard hi about teeks aftersome commonplace subject, from which, by one of the freaks of association, the conversation veered and touched on classical dancing
”The Russians are preeminent,” said I, ”because they possess both the inspiration--the fire--and the training In no other nation or school are the two so perfectly joined In the Turkish dancers there is perfect grace and freedom, but no life In Desiree Le Mire, for example, there is indeed life; but she has not had the necessary training”