CHAPTER XIV
PATTY'S DANCE
The Christmas Eve party at the Blaneys' was in full swing. A man atthe piano was performing a monologue that was partly spoken, partlysung. It was cleverly done, and the audience showed its appreciationby outspoken comments.
"A little lame on that top note, old chap. S'pose you try it over--ah,that's better!"
Patty sat next to Sam Blaney. Chick had expected to come, but Elisehad persuaded him to attend her party instead. This rather pleasedPatty, for she feared Chick's gay banter and she knew he didn't carefor the Cosmic Centre Club and their ways.
"You are so wonderful!" Blaney was saying, as he looked at her. "Inever cared for Christmas before."
Patty's gown was a long, sweeping robe of poinsettia red velvet. Itwould not have been becoming to most blondes, but Patty's fairnesstriumphed over all colour schemes. She wore a girdle of red velvetpoinsettia blossoms and a wreath of small ones encircled her head.
"You are so beautiful----" Blaney's soft, purring voice went on.
"Don't make me blush," Patty laughed back. "Pink cheeks spoil theeffect of this red gown. I must stay pale to suit it."
"Pink or pale, you are perfect! I adore you."
Embarrassed by the fervour of his tones, Patty turned to talk to theman at her other side. But he was engrossed in conversation with anaesthetic damsel, and so she gaily changed the subject.
"How splendid the rooms look," she said, glancing about. "That groveof green trees is wonderfully picturesque."
"That's where you're to dance," Blaney returned. "I looked after itmyself. It's carpeted with pine needles, but they're soft, fresh ones,not dried ones. I'm sure they'll be comfy."
"I dunno about dancing on 'em barefoot. I believe I'll wear sandals,after all."
"Oh, no, you mustn't. Grantham has designed every detail soexquisitely, don't fail to follow his directions accurately. Yournumber will be the best of all. That's why we put it last. It will bean enormous hit,--a revelation!"
"I hope they will like it. I've never danced before these peoplebefore. I've pleased ordinary audiences, but the Cosmos are socritical--it would break my heart if they didn't approve."
"Of course they'll approve! They'll go crazy over you. But you mustthrow yourself utterly into the spirit of it. We know at once ifyou're afraid or over-reserved. Abandon must be your keynote. Realinterpretation of Grantham's wonderful ideas."
"They are wonderful," agreed Patty. "Mr. Grantham is a true poet. Hesees Nature at her best and with an intuition almost divine."
Her blue eyes shone with earnestness and Blaney gazed at her inadoration.
"You perfect thing!" he murmured; "you have found your rightenvironment among us. You are wasted on the ordinary, unthinkingmasses of society. You are Nature's child. What a pity you must livea conventional life. Patty, can't you break loose? Can't you give upyour present hampering existence and come and throw in your lot withours? Live here. Alla would warmly welcome you as a sister----"
"And will you be my brother, Sam? I've never had a brother."
"No, I refuse to be your brother! I'll be--well, say, your guardian.How'd you like to be my ward?"
"I didn't know girls ever were wards except in old-fashioned novels.And there, they always marry their guardians."
"Well?"
"Oh, my gracious, is this a proposal!" Something in Blaney's tone hadwarned Patty that light banter was the best course, and she rattled on;"if so, postpone it, please. I really must go very soon and dress formy dance."
"I know it. I will wait for a more fitting time and place. You oughtto be wooed in a sylvan glade----"
"Oh, I'd rather a bosky dell! I've always been crazy to be wooed in abosky dell. A leafy bower is the nearest I've come to it."
"Who wooed you there?"
"Can't remember exactly. But it was the third from the last,--I think."
"You little witch! Do you know how fascinating you are?"
"No; tell me." Patty was in mischievous mood, and looked up demurelyat Blaney.
"By Jove, I will! As soon as I can get you alone. Run away, now, anddo your dance. And, listen; I command you to think of me at everystep."
"Can't promise that. It's all I can do to remember Mr. Grantham'ssteps; they're fearfully complicated. So--you think of me,--instead."
With a saucy smile at Blaney, Patty slipped from her place, and wentaround to the dressing room.
"Oh, here you are," cried Alla, who was waiting to help her dress; "Iwas just going to send for you. Now, off with your frock."
Some fifteen or twenty minutes later, the audience sat in breathlessanticipation of Patty's dance.
Howard Grantham was a great artist, and never before had he been knownto devise a dance for any one. But he had recognised Patty's skill inthe art, and had requested that he be allowed to design a picture dancefor her. The result was to be a surprise to all present, except theBlaneys, for rehearsals had been jealously kept secret.
The lights in the room were low, and the stage, which was a small groveof evergreen trees, was dark. Then, through the trees, appeared slowlya faint, pink light, as of breaking dawn. Some unseen violins breathedalmost inaudible strains of Spring-song music.
Two trees at the back were slowly drawn apart as two small, white handsappeared among their branches. In the opening showed Patty's lovelyface, eyes upturned, scarlet lips parted in a smile that was a joyousexpression of youth and gladness. Still further she drew apart thelissome trees, and stepped through, a vision of spring itself. Cloudsof chiffon swirled about her, softest dawn-rose in colour, changing oftints of heliotrope and primrose, as she swayed in graceful, pliantrhythm. Her slim white arms waved slowly, as the hidden melodies camefaintly from the depth of the grove. Her pretty bare feet shonewhitely among the soft pine needles and the steps of her dance were thevery essence of poetry itself.
The audience watched in silence, spellbound by the fair sight. Slowlyshe moved and swayed; then, as the music quickened, her steps grew moreanimated, her smile more bright, the lights were stronger, and thedance ended in a whirl of graceful pirouette and tossing, flutteringdraperies. With no pause or intermission, Patty was changed to animpersonation of summer. It was done by the lights. Her robe wasreally of white chiffon, and as pink lights had made it appear in rosytints, so now a deep yellow light gave the effect of sultry sunlight.
The music, and likewise the rhythm of the dance, were soft andlanguorous as a July noon. Limply hung the draperies, slowly waved thegraceful arms, and at the end, Patty sank slowly, gently, down on amound beneath the trees, and, her head pillowed on her arm, closed hereyes, while the violin notes faded to silence.
Knowing better than to applaud her, the spectators watched in silence.A moment, and then a clear bugle-like note sounded. Patty started up,passed her hand across her brow, opened her eyes, smiled slowly, andmore and more merrily, then sprang up, and as the lights made hercostume appear to be of the gold and russet red of autumn, she burstinto a wild woodland dance such as a veritable Dryad might haveperformed. The music was rich, triumphant, and the whole atmospherewas filled with the glory of the crown of the year. By a clevercontrivance, autumn leaves came fluttering down and Patty's bare feetnestled in them with childish enjoyment. Her smile was roguish, shewas a witch, an eerie thing. The orange light glowed and shone, and atthe height of a tumultuous burst of music, there was a sudden pause.Patty stopped still, her smile faded, and the colours changed fromautumn glows to a cold wintry blue. Her gown became white, with blueshadows, the music was sharp and frosty. Patty danced with staccatosteps, with little shivers of cold. The ground now appeared to becovered with frost, and her feet recoiled as they touched it. Themusic whistled like winter blasts. A fine snow seemed to fall, theblue shadows faded, all was white, and Patty, whirling, faster andfaster, was like a white fairy, white robes, white arms, white feet,and a sparkling white veil, that grew more and more voluminous a
s sheshook out its hidden folds. Faster she went, whirling, twirling,swirling, like a leaf in the wind, until, completely swathed in thegreat white veil, she vanished between the parted trees at the back ofthe stage.
The music ceased, the lights blazed up, the dance was over. A momentpassed as the audience came back to earth, and then the applause wastremendous. Hands clapped, sonorously, voices shouted "Bravo!" andother words of plaudit; and "Encore!" was repeatedly demanded.
But Mr. Grantham had forbidden Patty to return to the stage, even toacknowledge the laudation. He believed in the better effect of anunspoiled remembrance of her last tableau.
So, shaking with excitement and weariness, Patty sank into a chair inthe dressing-room, and Alla began to draw on her stockings.
"You must rest quietly, dear Patricia, for a half hour at least," shesaid, solicitously. "You are quite exhausted. But it was wonderful!I have never seen anything so beautiful! You will be feted and praisedto death. I've sent for a cup of coffee, to brace you up."
"Oh, please not, Alla!" cried Patty, knowing the kind of coffee itwould be. "I don't want it, truly. Just give me a glass of water, andlet me sit still a minute without seeing anybody. It is exhausting todance like that."
"Yes, dear, it is. Now rest quietly, and I'll keep everybody away,until you feel like seeing them."
But Patty was keyed up with the excitement of the occasion andunwilling to rest for very long. So, with Alla's help, she was soonrearrayed in her red velvet and ready to return to the Studio.
"I'm ashamed of myself," she said to Alla, "but I'm so vain, I reallywant to go out there and hear people tell me that I did well!"
"That isn't vanity," Alla returned. "That's proper pride. If any onecan do a thing as well as you did that dance, it would be idiocy not toenjoy hearing appreciative praise."
"Do you think so?" and Patty looked relieved; "I don't want to beconceited, but I'm glad if I did well."
"Wait till you hear what Sam says! He's wild about you, anyway, andafter that dance he'll be crazier over you than ever."
Patty smiled, happily, and with a final adjustment of her freshlydone-up hair, she declared herself ready to return to the party.
As hers had been the last number on the program, she was not surprisedto find the audience standing about in groups, or picturesquely posedon divans, and her appearance was the signal for a new hubbub ofexcitement.
But before she could hear a definite word from any one, a tall,powerful figure came striding up to her, and big Bill Farnsworth'sunsmiling blue eyes looked straight into her own merry ones.
Her merriment died away before the sternness of his expression.
"Get your wraps, Patty," he said, in low but distinct tones. "At once."
"What for?" and Patty stared at him in amazement. "What has happened?"
But she had no fear that any untoward accident had befallen, forFarnsworth showed no sympathy or gentleness in his face, merely adetermined authority.
"Go at once," Farnsworth repeated, "and get your cloak."
"I won't do it," she replied, giving him an angry glance. "I don'twant to go home; why should I get my cloak?"
"Then I'll take you without it," and picking her up in his arms, BigBill strode through the throng of people, with as little embarrassmentas if he were walking along the street. Many turned to look at himwith curiosity, some smiled, but the Cosmic souls rarely allowedthemselves to be surprised at anything, however peculiar.
As they passed Sam Blaney, Patty noticed that he stood, leaning againstthe wall, his arms folded, and a strange expression on his face,--halfdefiant, half afraid.
Farnsworth carried Patty down the stairs and out of the house, andplaced her with care, but a bit unceremoniously, in the tonneau of awaiting motor-car. He jumped in beside her, and pulled the lap robeover her. The car started at once, and was well under way by the timePatty found voice enough to express her indignation.
"You--perfectly--horrid--old--thing!" she gasped, almost crying fromsheer surprise and anger.
"Yes?" he said, and she detected laughter in his tone, which made herangrier than ever.
"I hate you!" she burst forth.
"Do you, dear?" and Farnsworth rearranged the rug to protect her morefully.
There was such gentleness in his touch, such tenderness in his voice,that Patty's anger melted to plain curiosity.
"Why did you do that?" she demanded. "Why did you bring me away insuch--such caveman fashion?"
Farnsworth smiled. "It was a caveman performance, wasn't it? But youwouldn't come willingly."
"Of course I wouldn't! Why should I?"
"For three very good reasons." Farnsworth spoke, gravely. "First, youwere in a place where you didn't belong. I couldn't let you remainthere."
"It is not your business to say where I belong!"
"I wouldn't want any one I care for to be in that place."
"Not even Daisy Dow?"
"Certainly not Daisy."
"Oh, not Daisy--of _all_ people! Oh, certainly _not_!"
"Next, you were doing what you ought not to do."
"What!"
"Yes, you were. You danced barefoot before those--those unspeakablefools!"
Patty felt uncomfortable. She hadn't herself exactly liked the idea ofthat barefoot dance, and hadn't told any one she was going to do it.She had insisted to Mr. Grantham that she preferred to wear sandals.But he had talked so beautifully of the naturalness of the wholeconception, the exquisite appropriateness of unshod feet, and thenecessity of her carrying out his design as a whole, that she hadyielded.
And now that Bill Farnsworth spoke of it in this rude way, it seemed todivest the dance of all its aesthetic beauty, and make of it a horrid,silly performance.
She tried to speak, tried to reply in indignant or angry vein, but shecouldn't articulate at all. A lump came into her throat, big tearsformed in her eyes, and a sob that she tried in vain to suppress shookher whole body.
She felt Farnsworth's arm go protectingly round her. Not caressingly,but with an assurance of care and assumption of responsibility.
Then, he pulled off the glove from his other hand with his teeth, andafter a dive into a pocket, produced and shook out a big, white,comforting square of soft linen, and Patty gratefully buried her facein it.