After a dinner of glazed ham and creamed onions eaten on plates set on knees, the adults with younger children drifted home while the others went into the smaller sitting rooms to drink. This left the young people to their own amusements.

Dolly Cushing and Harry Cunningham, the more jovial brother, organized a game which everyone just had to play. They shouted and pointed to people to arrange themselves in a correct way. Lilian saw Madelaine Fenwick in a satintrimmed dress sitting apart with a superior air. Lilian skulked to the back of the room to brood, finding a chair against the wall near a heavy curtain. Arthur who hated parlor games joined her, sensing her mood, silent, thrusting out the Eliot chin as he sat down. Irene Minter took a chair nearby and Arthur’s face took on a cloudy look, following the movements of her hands as she traced her odd notions in the air. Irene Minter appears haunted tonight, Lilian thought. But then, nothing seemed right. Irene’s escort stared with slack mouth at the proceedings.

Freddie Vernon was the head of one team. His high collar appeared to be choking him, that or it was simply the effect of his protruding eyes. Chip Cunningham stood off to the side, tortured by Marian Lockwood’s thumb-wrestling with Dickie Wiggin, a shy dapper fellow who couldn’t believe his luck. Lilian had a momentary start when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a belted army jacket, but it was only Tommy Lattimore’s brother who was also shipping out after Christmas. Scattered about on the stiff sofas and old armchairs, the young people sat with upraised eyes as one person after another stood before them making mysterious gestures, pointing at parts of their body, holding up fingers, drawing pictures in the air and contorting themselves on the floor. Amidst the shouting Lilian noticed one quiet face: Tommy Lattimore’s doleful gaze, directed at her.

All evening she had been unable for a moment to stop thinking of Walter Vail and of when he would be returning from the North Shore.

Just then timid Elizabeth Cunningham, head drooped forward, led a new arrival into the room. Chip, she said softly, and sad Chip looked wanly over. Harry, she said, and when Harry looked, the group turned. Dolly let out a hoot and looked immediately toward Lilian who shrank back into the curtain. It was Walter Vail.