How Well Your Brother Dances, by Keith Logan

fan fiction

How Well Your Brother Dances

They were walking down the pump-room
Where they met not quite by chance
Exchanging fine civilities
As in a gentle dance

Nothing said, that had not been said
Some million times before
But such sweetness of sincerity
Could not begin to bore

“How well your brother dances”
Miss Morland then did say
An artless exclamation
A kind of, “by the way”

This quite surprised Miss Tilney
And amused her then, likewise
That gentle smile upon the lips
Spread to her sparkling eyes

“Yes Henry dances very well”
Miss Tilney soon replied
As Catherine felt discourtesy
Must now be justified

“He must have thought it very odd
(Did he steal to you a glance?)
That I should yet be seated
If engaged I was to dance”

“But I assure you, that so it was
From the morning of that day”
Miss Tilney gave a gracious bow
There was nothing yet to say

“you cannot think,” added Catherine
After a moment of delay
“How surprised I was to see him
Whom I thought quite gone away”

“When Henry had the pleasure
Of seeing you before
His visit lasted but two days
And not a moment more”

“He was here to engage lodgings
For the Tilney family
With the task at hand completed
Paid a visit then to me”

“And he never comes to the pump-room?”
Catherine voiced a nagging doubt
“Yes sometimes, but with father
He this morning has rid out.”

Now Mrs. Hughes, and Miss Tilney
Were prepared to go away
But Catherine was not finished
She still had more to say

“I do hope to have the pleasure
Of seeing you soon, again
Shall you be at the cotillion ball?”
Asked she, with feelings plain

“Perhaps we...” began Miss Tilney
“Yes, I think we shall be there”
A thought to gladden Catherine’s heart
And remove a growing care

Her civility having been returned
With right good will they parted
Miss Tilney's head still buzzing
With knowledge, thus imparted

Of Catherine's oh so new feelings
For the brother of her care
Though of having thus explained them
Catherine was perfectly unaware