"Will you be my partner?"

"With pleasure," she answered, but there was some little surprise in her
voice which he at once detected.

"Oh," said he, "the mother taught me when I was a child. She and I used
to have grand dances together. And Hamish he taught me the sword-dance."

"Do you know the sword-dance?" she said.

"Any one can know it," said he; "it is more difficult to do it. But at
one time I could dance it with four of the thickest handled dirks
instead of the two swords."

"I hope you will show us your skill to-night," she said, with a smile.

"Do you think any one can dance the sword-dance without the pipes?" said
he, quite simply.

And now some of the younger people had made bold to try this minuet, and
Macleod led his partner up to the head of the improvised ball-room, and
the slow and graceful music began. That was a pretty sight for those
walking outside in the garden. So warm was the night that the canvas of
one side of the marquee had been removed, and those walking about in the
dark outside could look into this gayly lighted place with the
beautifully colored figures moving to the slow music. And as they thus
walked along the gravel-paths, or under the trees, the stems of which
were decorated with spirals of colored lamps, a new light arose in the
south to shed a further magic over the scene. Almost red at first, the
full moon cleared as it rose, until the trees and bushes were touched