V + 

He was dancing with her. Never had he imagined that he could be so happy. She was like a feather, a rose leaf in his arms. She was wearing a pink dress againтБатАФa different one. It floated out all round her. + 

If life could only go on like this foreverтБатАКтБатАж foreverтБатАКтБатАж + 

But, of course, life never did. In what seemed to Vernon like one second the music stopped. They were sitting together on two chairs. + 

He wanted to say a thousand things to herтБатАФbut he didnтАЩt know how to begin. He heard himself saying foolish things about the floor and the music. + 

FoolтБатАФunutterable fool! In a few minutes another dance would begin. She would be swept away from him. He must make some planтБатАФsome arrangement to meet her again. + 

She was talkingтБатАФdesultory in-between-dance talk. LondonтБатАФthe season. Horrible to think ofтБатАФshe was going to dances night after nightтБатАФthree dances a night sometimes. And here was he tied by the leg. She would marry someoneтБатАФsome rich, clever, amusing fellow would snap her up. + 

He mumbled something about being in townтБатАФshe gave him their address. Mother would be so pleased to see him again. He wrote it down. + 

The music struck up. He said desperately: тАЬNellтБатАФI say, I do call you Nell, donтАЩt I?тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy, of course.тАЭ She laughed. тАЬDo you remember hauling me over the palings that day we thought the rhinoceros was after us?тАЭ + 

And he had thought her a nuisance, he remembered. Nell! A nuisance! + 

She went on: тАЬI used to think you were wonderful then, Vernon.тАЭ + 

She had, had she? But she couldnтАЩt think him wonderful now. His mood drooped to despondency once more. + 

тАЬIтБатАФI was an awful little rotter, I expect,тАЭ he mumbled. + 

Why couldnтАЩt he be intelligent and clever, and say witty things? + 

тАЬOh! you were a dear. Sebastian hasnтАЩt changed much, has he?тАЭ + 

Sebastian. She called him Sebastian. Well, after all, he supposed she wouldтБатАФsince she called him Vernon. What a lucky thing it was that Sebastian cared for nobody but Joe. Sebastian with his money and his brains. Did Nell like Sebastian, he wondered? + 

тАЬOne would know his ears anywhere!тАЭ said Nell with a laugh. + 

Vernon felt comforted. He had forgotten SebastianтАЩs ears. No girl who had noticed SebastianтАЩs ears could go falling in love with him. Poor old SebastianтБатАФrather rough luck to be handicapped with those ears. + 

He saw NellтАЩs partner arriving. He blurted out quickly and hurriedly: + 

тАЬI say, itтАЩs wonderful to have seen you again, Nell. DonтАЩt forget me, will you? I shall be turning up in town. ItтАЩsтБатАФitтАЩs been awfully jolly seeing you again. (Oh! damn, I said that before!) I meanтБатАФitтАЩs been simply ripping. You donтАЩt know. But you wonтАЩt forget, will you?тАЭ + 

She had gone from him. He saw her whirling round in BarnardтАЩs arms. She couldnтАЩt like Barnard surely, could she? Barnard was such an absolute ass. + 

Her eyes met his over BarnardтАЩs shoulder. She smiled. + 

He was in heaven again. She liked himтБатАФhe knew she liked him. She had smiledтБатАКтБатАж + 