Waverley novels . aithless to her own cause, that had beenthe latest hour of Mistress Deborahs adminis-tration. But she retreated into her stronghold. Dancing, she said, was exercise, regulatedand timed by music ; and it stood to reason, thatit must be the best of all exercise for a delicateperson, especially as it could be taken within doors,and in all states of the weather. Bridgenorth listened, with a clouded and thought-ful brow, when, in exemplification of her doctrine,Mistress Deborah, who was no contemptible per-former on the viol, began to jangle SellengersEound, and desired Alice to d
Waverley novels . aithless to her own cause, that had beenthe latest hour of Mistress Deborahs adminis-tration. But she retreated into her stronghold. Dancing, she said, was exercise, regulatedand timed by music ; and it stood to reason, thatit must be the best of all exercise for a delicateperson, especially as it could be taken within doors,and in all states of the weather. Bridgenorth listened, with a clouded and thought-ful brow, when, in exemplification of her doctrine,Mistress Deborah, who was no contemptible per-former on the viol, began to jangle SellengersEound, and desired Alice to dance an old Englishmeasure to the tune. As the half-bashful, half-smiling girl, about fourteen — for such was her age— moved gracefully to the music, the fathers eyeunavoidably followed the light spring of her step,and marked with joy the rising colour in her the dance was over, he folded her in his arms,smoothed her somewhat disordered locks with afathers affectionate hand, smiled, kissed her brow,. PEVERIL OF THE PEAK. 1S5 and took his leave, without one single word fartherinterdicting the exercise of dancing. He did nothimself communicate the result of his visit at theBlack Fort to Mistress Christian, but she was notlong of learning it, by the triumph of Dame Deb-orah on her next visit. It is well, said the stern old lady; my bro-ther Bridgenorth hath permitted you to make aHerodias of Alice, and teach her dancing. You haveonly now to find her a partner for life — I shallneither meddle nor make more in their affairs. In fact, the triumph of Dame Deborah, or ratherof Dame Nature, on this occasion, had more im-portant effects than the former had ventured toanticipate; for Mistress Christian, though she re-ceived with all formality the formal visits of thegovernante and her charge, seemed thenceforth sopettish with the issue of her remonstrance, upon theenormity of her niece dancing to a little fiddle, thatshe appeared to give up interference in her affairs,and
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