The Dancing Partner

"This story,"commenced MacShaugnassy, "comes from Furtwangen, a smalltown
in the Black Forest. There lived there a very wonderful oldfellow named
Nicholaus Geibel. His business was the making of mechanical toys,at which
work he had acquired an almost European reputation. He maderabbits that
would emerge from the heart of a cabbage, flop their ears, smooththeir
whiskers, and disappear again; cats that would wash their faces,and mew so
naturally that dogs would mistake them for real cats and fly atthem; dolls
with phonographs concealed within them, that would raise theirhats and say,
'Good morning; how do you do?' and some that would even sing asong.

"But, he was something more than a mere mechanic; he was anartist. His work
was with him a hobby, almost a passion. His shop was filled withall manner
of strange things that never would, or could, be sold -- thingshe had made
for the pure love of making them. He had contrived a mechanicaldonkey that
would trot for two hours by means of stored electricity, andtrot, too, much
faster than the live article, and with less need for exertion onthe part of
the driver, a bird that would shoot up into the air, fly roundand round in
a circle, and drop to earth at the exact spot from where itstarted; a
skeleton that, supported by an upright iron bar, would dance ahornpipe, a
life-size lady doll that could play the fiddle, and a gentlemanwith a
hollow inside who could smoke a pipe and drink more lager beerthan any
three average German students put together, which is saying much.

"Indeed, it was the belief of the town that old Geibel couldmake a man
capable of doing everything that a respectable man need want todo. One day
he made a man who did too much, and it came about in this way:

"Young Doctor Follen had a baby, and the baby had a birthday.Its first
birthday put Doctor Follen's household into somewhat of a flurry,but on the
occasion of its second birthday, Mrs. Doctor Follen gave a ballin honour of
the event. Old Geibel and his daughter Olga were among the guests.

"During the afternoon of the next day some three or four ofOlga's bosom
friends, who had also been present at the ball, dropped in tohave a chat
about it. They naturally fell to discussing the men, and tocriticizing
their dancing. Old Geibel was in the room, but he appeared to beabsorbed in
his newspaper, and the girls took no notice of him.

"'There seem to be fewer men who can dance at every ball yougo to,' said
one of the girls.

"'Yes, and don't the ones who can give themselves airs,'said another; 'they
make quite a favor of asking you.'

"'And how stupidly they talk,' added a third. 'They alwayssay exactly the
same things: "How charming you are looking to-night.""Do you often go to
Vienna? Oh, you should, it's delightful." "What acharming dress you have
on." "What a warm day it has been." "Do youlike Wagner?" I do wish they'd
think of something new.'

"'Oh, I never mind how they talk,' said a forth. 'If a mandances well he
may be a fool for all I care.'

"'He generally is,' slipped in a thin girl, ratherspitefully.

"'I go to a ball to dance,' continued the previous speaker,not noticing the
interruption. 'All I ask is that he shall hold me firmly, take meround
steadily, and not get tired before I do.'

"'A clockwork figure would be the thing for you,' said thegirl who had
interrupted.

"'Bravo!' cried one of the others, clapping her hands, 'whata capital
idea!'

"'What's a capital idea?' they asked.

"'Why, a clockwork dancer, or, better still, one that wouldgo by
electricity and never run down.'

"The girls took up the idea with enthusiasm.

"'Oh, what a lovely partner he would make,' said one; 'hewould never kick
you, or tread on your toes.'

"'Or tear your dress,' said another.

"'Or get out of step.'

"'Or get giddy and lean on you.'

"'And he would never want to mop his face with hishandkerchief. I do hate
to see a man do that after every dance.'

"'And wouldn't want to spend the whole evening in the supper-room.'

"'Why, with a phonograph inside him to grind out all thestock remarks, you
would not be able to tell him from a real man,' said the girl whohad first
suggested the idea.

"Oh yes, you would,' said the thin girl, 'he would be somuch nicer.'

"Old Geibel had laid down his paper, and was listening withboth his ears.
On one of the girls glancing in his direction, however, hehurriedly hid
himself again behind it.

"After the girls were gone, he went into his workshop, whereOlga heard him
walking up and down, and every now and then chuckling to himself;and that
night he talked to her a good deal about dancing and dancing men-- asked
what dances were most popular -- what steps were gone through,with many
other questions bearing on the subject.

"Then for a couple of weeks he kept much to his factory, andwas very
thoughtful and busy, though prone at unexpected moments to breakinto a
quiet low laugh, as if enjoying a joke that nobody else knew of.

"A month later another ball took place in Furtwangen. Onthis occasion it
was given by old Wenzel, the wealthy timber merchant, tocelebrate his
niece's betrothal, and Geibel and his daughter were again amongthe invited.

"When the hour arrived to set out, Olga sought her father.Not finding him
in the house, she tapped at the door of his workshop. He appearedin his
shirt-sleeves, looking hot but radiant.

"Don't wait for me,' he said, 'you go on, I'll follow you.I've got
something to finish.'

"As she turned to obey he called after her, 'Tell them I'mgoing to bring a
young man with me -- such a nice young man, and an excellentdancer. All the
girls will like him.' Then he laughed and closed the door.

"Her father generally kept his doings secret from everybody,but she had a
pretty shrewd suspicion of what he had been planning, and so, toa certain
extent, was able to prepare the guests for what was coming.Anticipation ran
high, and the arrival of the famous mechanist was eagerly awaited.

"At length the sound of wheels was heard outside, followedby a great
commotion in the passage, and old Wenzel himself, his jolly facered with
excitement and suppressed laughter, burst into the room andannounced in
stentorian tones:

"'Herr Geibel -- and a friend.'

"Herr Geibel and his 'friend' entered, greeted with shoutsof laughter and
applause, and advanced to the centre of the room.

"'Allow me, ladies and gentlemen,' said Herr Geibel, 'tointroduce you to my
friend, Lieutenant Fritz. Fritz, my dear fellow, bow to theladies and
gentlemen.'

"Geibel placed his hand encouragingly on Fritz's shoulder,and the
Lieutenant bowed low, accompanying the action with a harshclicking noise in
his throat, unpleasantly suggestive of a death-rattle. But thatwas only a
detail.

"'He walks a little stiffly' (old Geibel took his arm andwalked him forward
a few steps. He certainly did walk stiffly), 'but then, walkingis not his
forte. He is essentially a dancing man. I have only been able toteach him
the waltz as yet, but at that he is faultless. Come, which of youladies may
I introduce him to as a partner? He keeps perfect time; he nevergets tired;
he won't kick you or trad on your dress; he will hold you asfirmly as you
like, and go as quickly or a slowly as you please; he never getsgiddy; and
he is full of conversation. Come, speak up for yourself, my boy.'

"The old gentleman twisted one of the buttons at the back ofhis coat, and
immediately Fritz opened his mouth, and in thin tones thatappeared to
proceed from the back of his head, remarked suddenly, 'May I havethe
pleasure?' and then shut his mouth again with a snap.

"That Lieutenant Fritz had made a strong impression on thecompany was
undoubted, yet none of the girls seemed inclined to dance withhim. They
looked askance at his waxen face, with its staring eyes and fixedsmile, and
shuddered. At last old Geibel came to the girl who had conceivedthe idea.

"'It is your own suggestion, carried out to the letter,'said Geibel, 'an
electric dancer. You owe it to the gentleman to give him a trial.'

"She was a bright, saucy little girl, fond of a frolic. Herhost added his
entreaties, and she consented.

"Her Geibel fixed the figure to her. Its right arm wasscrewed round her
waist, and held her firmly; its delicately jointed left hand wasmade to
fasten upon her right. The old toymaker showed her how toregulate its
speed, and how to stop it, and release herself.

"'It will take you round in a complete circle,' heexplained; 'be careful
that no one knocks against you, and alters its course.'

"The music struck up. Old Geibel put the current in motion,and Annette and
her strange partner began to dance.

"For a while everyone stood watching them. The figureperformed its purpose
admirably. Keeping perfect time and step, and holding its littlepartner
tight clasped in an unyielding embrace, it revolved steadily,pouring forth
at the same time a constant flow of squeaky conversation, brokenby brief
intervals of grinding silence.

"'How charming you are looking tonight,' it remarked in itsthin, far-away
voice. 'What a lovely day it has been. Do you like dancing? Howwell our
steps agree. You will give me another, won't you? Oh, don't be socruel.
What a charming gown you have on. Isn't waltzing delightful? Icould go on
dancing for ever -- with you. Have you had supper?'

"As she grew more familiar with the uncanny creature, thegirl's nervousness
wore off, and she entered into the fun of the thing.

"'Oh, he's just lovely,' she cried, laughing; 'I could go ondancing with
him all my life.'

"Couple after couple now joined them, and soon all thedancers in the room
were whirling round behind them. Nicholaus Geibel stood lookingon, beaming
with childish delight at his success.

"Old Wenzel approached him, and whispered something in hisear. Geibel
laughed and nodded, and the two worked their way quietly towardsthe door.

"'This is the young people's house to-night,' said Wenzel,as soon as they
were outside; 'you and I will have a quiet pipe and glass ofhock, over in
the counting-house.'

"Meanwhile the dancing grew more fast and furious. LittleAnnette loosened
the screw regulating her partner's rate of progress, and thefigure flew
round with her swifter and swifter. Couple after couple droppedout
exhausted, but they only went the faster, till at length theyremained
dancing alone.

"Madder and madder became the waltz. The music lagged behind:the musicians,
unable to keep pace, ceased, and sat staring. The younger guestsapplauded,
but the older faces began to grow anxious.

"'Hadn't you better stop, dear,' said one of the women,'you'll make
yourself so tired.'

"But Annette did not answer.

"'I believe she's fainted,' cried out a girl who had caughtsight of her
face as it was swept by.

"One of the men sprang forward and clutched at the figure,but its impetus
threw him down on to the floor, where its steel-cased feet laidbare his
cheek. The thing evidently did not intend to part with its prizeso easily.

"Had any one retained a cool head, the figure, one cannothelp thinking,
might easily have been stopped. Two or three men acting inconcert might
have lifted it bodily off the floor, or have jammed it into acorner. But
few human heads are capable of remaining cool under excitement.Those who
are not present think how stupid must have been those wh were;those who are
reflect afterwards how simple it would have been to do this,that, or the
other, if only they had thought of it at the time.

"The women grew hysterical. The men shouted contradictorydirections to one
another. Tow of them made a bungling rush at the figure, whichhad the end
result of forcing it out of its orbit at the centre of the room,and sending
it crashing against the walls and furniture. A stream of bloodshowed itself
down the girl's white frock, and followed her along the floor.The affair
was becoming horrible. The women rushed screaming from the room.The men
followed them.

"One sensible suggestion was made: 'Find Geibel -- fetchGeibel.'

"No one had noticed him leave the room, no one knew where hewas. A party
went in search of him. The others, too unnerved to go back intothe
ballroom, crowded outside the door and listened. They could hearthe steady
whir of the wheels upon the polished floor as the thing spunround and
round; the dull thud as every now and again it dashed itself andits burden
against some opposing object and ricocheted off in a newdirection.

"And everlastingly it talked in that thin ghostly voice,repeating over and
over the same formula: 'How charming you look to-night. What alovely day it
has been. Oh, don't be so cruel. I could go on dancing for ever-- with you.
Have you had supper?'

"Of course they sought Geibel everywhere but where he was.They looked in
every room in the house, then they rushed off in a body to hisown place,
and spent precious minutes waking up his deaf old housekeeper. Atlast it
occurred to one of the party that Wenzel was missing also, andthen the idea
of the counting-house across the yard presented itself to them,and there
they found him.

"He rose up, very pale, and followed them; and he and oldWenzel forced
their way through the crowd of guests gathered outside, andentered the
room, and locked the door behind them.

"From within there came the muffled sound of low voices andquick steps,
followed by a confused scuffling noise, then silence, then thelow voices
again.

"After a time the door opened, and those near it pressedforward to enter,
but old Wenzel's broad head and shoulders barred the way.

"I want you -- and you, Bekler,' he said, addressing acouple of the elder
men. His voice was calm, but his face was deadly white. 'The restof you,
please go -- get the women away as quickly as you can.'

"From that day old Nicholaus Geibel confined himself to themaking of
mechanical rabbits, and cats that mewed and washed their faces."