presence.
“Well, are you enjoying your taste of Austrian night life?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Come on and sit down, all of you. You can exchange politeness sitting down just as well,” Greta said impatiently.
Michael laughed. “Don’t rush me, Greta! I was going to ask Sonia to dance this next one. May I?” He clicked his heels and made Sonia a very solemn bow.
There seemed to be a curious little silence that made itself felt in spite of the hubbub that was going on all around them. Sonia hesitated as she caught a glimpse of Greta’s face. The other girl seemed to be daring her to refuse, but before Sonia could decide one way or the other, Michael took her by the arm.
“Come on, Sonia. I won’t bite. I’m not like these Austrian wolves, you know.”
She was aware that Greta was staring at her with angry eyes. She saw rather than heard her rebuff Stefan’s invitation to dance, at first impatiently and then with a contemptuous gesture that brought color into his pale face.
“One of these days that young lady will do it once too often.” Michael’s lazy tones broke in on Sonia’s thoughts.
“Why?” She knew it was a stupid question, but Greta’s attitude had shattered her self-confidence.
Michael swung her expertly out of the way of a young couple who were too absorbed in each other to watch where they were going.
“Because she mistakes Stefan’s gentleness for weakness, and it’s nothing of the sort. He’s learned self-control in the hardest school of all, but he still has his breaking point. Greta’s a nice girl, but...” He didn’t bother to finish.
“I thought she was a friend of yours,” Sonia ventured.
“A friend? I suppose you could call it that. We work together some of the time. She likes to practise her English on me, and so sometimes we go out together. Are you falling in love with Stefan?”
The question came out with a casualness that left her silent for a few seconds.
“What makes you say that?” she managed to answer.
He chuckled delightedly. “You’re learning! I might have known that it was only a fatherly gesture ... or should I say brotherly ... on his part. You looked as though you liked it. That’s why I wondered. Just remember if you feel the faintest symptom come to your Uncle Michael at once, and he’ll administer the antidote before it’s too late.”
“And what if I don’t want to be cured?” Sonia felt bold enough to smile.
He stopped in the middle of a step, and for a moment she thought he was going to shake her. Then he grasped her very firmly and swung her faster and faster in response to the mad, swirling tune of the fiddles. Laughter, voices, clapping hands, stamping feet, the beat of the music, all were caught up in a merry-go-round of sounds that pounded louder and louder against her eardrums until she felt that her head must burst. Then the whirligig of movement slowed down and finally stopped. Sonia clutched at Michael. The whole room still seemed to be careening wildly around her.
He looked down at the head resting against his shoulder, the flushed little face, the eyes closed now with the shadow of fatigue below them.
“Come on, little one. I’m going to take you home. Traveling all last night and dancing tonight won’t make you a big strong girl.”
Sonia steadied herself with an effort. “What about the others?” He glanced casually back toward the corner table. “A friend of Stefan’s has joined them, and they’re all laughing. I’ll tell the waiter we’ve gone.”
Sonia felt as though she were running away, but she had to admit that she couldn’t have gone on much longer. Even when they emerged into the open air at the top of the steps, she felt that she was walking in a dream. The cool air that brushed against her face had a remoteness about it that wasn’t quite real. The strains of gay Tirolean music that seemed to rush forth from every other doorway that they passed, the laughter, the small groups of teenagers
“Well, are you enjoying your taste of Austrian night life?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Come on and sit down, all of you. You can exchange politeness sitting down just as well,” Greta said impatiently.
Michael laughed. “Don’t rush me, Greta! I was going to ask Sonia to dance this next one. May I?” He clicked his heels and made Sonia a very solemn bow.
There seemed to be a curious little silence that made itself felt in spite of the hubbub that was going on all around them. Sonia hesitated as she caught a glimpse of Greta’s face. The other girl seemed to be daring her to refuse, but before Sonia could decide one way or the other, Michael took her by the arm.
“Come on, Sonia. I won’t bite. I’m not like these Austrian wolves, you know.”
She was aware that Greta was staring at her with angry eyes. She saw rather than heard her rebuff Stefan’s invitation to dance, at first impatiently and then with a contemptuous gesture that brought color into his pale face.
“One of these days that young lady will do it once too often.” Michael’s lazy tones broke in on Sonia’s thoughts.
“Why?” She knew it was a stupid question, but Greta’s attitude had shattered her self-confidence.
Michael swung her expertly out of the way of a young couple who were too absorbed in each other to watch where they were going.
“Because she mistakes Stefan’s gentleness for weakness, and it’s nothing of the sort. He’s learned self-control in the hardest school of all, but he still has his breaking point. Greta’s a nice girl, but...” He didn’t bother to finish.
“I thought she was a friend of yours,” Sonia ventured.
“A friend? I suppose you could call it that. We work together some of the time. She likes to practise her English on me, and so sometimes we go out together. Are you falling in love with Stefan?”
The question came out with a casualness that left her silent for a few seconds.
“What makes you say that?” she managed to answer.
He chuckled delightedly. “You’re learning! I might have known that it was only a fatherly gesture ... or should I say brotherly ... on his part. You looked as though you liked it. That’s why I wondered. Just remember if you feel the faintest symptom come to your Uncle Michael at once, and he’ll administer the antidote before it’s too late.”
“And what if I don’t want to be cured?” Sonia felt bold enough to smile.
He stopped in the middle of a step, and for a moment she thought he was going to shake her. Then he grasped her very firmly and swung her faster and faster in response to the mad, swirling tune of the fiddles. Laughter, voices, clapping hands, stamping feet, the beat of the music, all were caught up in a merry-go-round of sounds that pounded louder and louder against her eardrums until she felt that her head must burst. Then the whirligig of movement slowed down and finally stopped. Sonia clutched at Michael. The whole room still seemed to be careening wildly around her.
He looked down at the head resting against his shoulder, the flushed little face, the eyes closed now with the shadow of fatigue below them.
“Come on, little one. I’m going to take you home. Traveling all last night and dancing tonight won’t make you a big strong girl.”
Sonia steadied herself with an effort. “What about the others?” He glanced casually back toward the corner table. “A friend of Stefan’s has joined them, and they’re all laughing. I’ll tell the waiter we’ve gone.”
Sonia felt as though she were running away, but she had to admit that she couldn’t have gone on much longer. Even when they emerged into the open air at the top of the steps, she felt that she was walking in a dream. The cool air that brushed against her face had a remoteness about it that wasn’t quite real. The strains of gay Tirolean music that seemed to rush forth from every other doorway that they passed, the laughter, the small groups of teenagers
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