"If my wandering knight should arrive during the dance, you
promise to stand aside and give place to him," she stipulated.
"You promise that? You see I'm expecting him all the time. I
dreamed last night that he came on a great bay horse and,
stooping, whirled me up behind the saddle, and away we went!"
There was a childish, half bantering air in her look; but her
voice sounded earnest and serious, notwithstanding its delicious
timbre of suppressed playfulness.
"You promise me?" she insisted.
"Oh, I promise to slink away into a corner and chew my thumb, the
moment he comes," Rene eagerly assented. "Of course I'm taking a
great risk, I know; for lords and barons and knights are very apt
to appear Suddenly in a place like this."
"You may banter and make light if you want to," she said, pouting
admirably. "I don't care. All the same the laugh will jump to the
other corner of your mouth, see if it doesn't. They say that what
a person dreams about and wishes for and waits for and believes
in, will come true sooner or later."
"If that's so," said Rene, "you and I will get married; for I've
dreamed it every night of the year, wished for it, waited for it
and believed in it, and--"
It was a madly sudden rush. He made it on an impulse quite
irresistible, as hypnotized persons are said to do in response to
the suggestion of the hypnotist, and his heart was choking his
throat before he could end his speech.
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