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But I have a pet as well,
Lovely, laughing, light-heart Nell.
We don't talk of love, but play
At it all and every day:
I steal kisses and she laughs,
Swear they're earnest, and she chaffs.
Once, when I contrived to go
Underneath the misletoe,
Saying she'd a score to pay,
She kiss'd me and tripp'd away,
Not too quickly to be caught,
And with well-feign'd struggles brought
Underneath the bough once more.
We've had quarrels o'er and o'er,
But we always make it up,
Neither cares to sulk or mope.

If my sisters hint that I
Feel for Nellie tenderly,
I'm indignant, and retort,
From a well-assur'd report,
Of Sir This, and Captain That,
Giving tits for every tat.

If her cousin, Bertie Bell,
Whispers spitefully to Nell,
“Nellie, you're in love with Fred,”
She will toss her pretty head,
And, with mock humility,
Drop a curtsey and reply,
“Well, and if your charge were true,
Better far with Fred than you.”
All the same one's fidgety
When the other is not by.
We engage at ev'ry ball
For the waltzes one and all:
Waltzing's too divine a dance
To be left to common chance:
You should only waltz with one
In such perfect unison
With you, as you cannot get
Save you often practise it:
Squares we always give away.
When it's supper time, we stay
Till the extras all are done,
Then we go and sup alone,
Make the mottoes vehicles
For the truths one never tells
Without such occasion.
Whispering we linger on
Until we away are sent
Or slip into sentiment:
Then we go and waltz again
Feeling fire in ev'ry vein:
Nellie shuts a blithe blue eye
In delicious ecstasy,
As we float (we hate to haste),
And I clasp her slender waist
With a more expressive arm:
Sweet abandon is her charm:
Nellie looks her loveliest
When the sunny elf-locks, press'd
In the heavy plaits behind,
Play the truant in the wind,
And the errand-blushes stay
And don't hurry straight away
Soon as they have said their say.