The tradition is kept up here that you are the best of skaters," she said, with her little black-gloved hand brushing a grain of hoarfrost off her muff.

"Yes, I used once to skate with passion; I wanted to reach perfection.

" "You do everything with passion, I think," she said smiling.

" I should so like to see how you skate.

Put on skates, and let us skate together.