328 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



everywhere to great kings, and much latitude is allowed 

 to foreigners. This because she wanted to transgress 

 all the rules herself. 



Another quaint unwritten statute of the dance 

 enjoined that if for some reason of her own a lady 

 desired to cease waltzing, it was a signal for her partner 

 to abandon her incontinently without troubling to see 

 her to a seat or convoy her through the worst of the 

 whirling crush; really quite reminiscent of the con- 

 ventions which govern the opening of the refreshment 

 room at our own suburban subscription balls, where, 

 of course, it is usual, if not de rigueur, for the masculine 

 revellers to make a wild stampede for the food, regard- 

 less of the existence or hunger of the feminine revellers. 



About midnight the floor was always cleared for the 

 dancing of the national " Lezghynka," which was 

 familiar to most of the company. I expected some- 

 thing of " Merry Widow " variety, but it was a much 

 more graceful business than that. The lady's part of 

 the affair was a comprehensive series of glides and 

 twists and turns and little tripping runs and artful 

 cajoleries and sideway invitations to a pas de deux, 

 and all the time the agile, elusive, flickering figure, 

 light as thistledown, shyly hid her face in an all- 

 inadequate trellis-work of her crossed fingers. Her 

 partner, always pursuing, did a most energetic and 

 clever fandango on his heels. In fact his entire per- 

 formance was on his heels. " Click ! Click ! " steadily. 

 The impetus from the toe seemed to throw the brunt 

 of the work heelwards. It was a really pretty dance, 

 and all the people standing about marked time. 



