She looked up at Jim and told him it was her first big party. He said nothing, but he smiled down into her eyes as though he knew what it was she really meant to say. How could Jim know what she really meant to say, when she did not know it herself? She was filled with gratitude and with the assurance that whatever she said next did not matter very much, because she was saying it to him, and he would not mind what she said, because it was Rose who was speaking. “I am afraid I am not a very good dancer,” she said. The truth was that she felt she was dancing quite well — splendidly, in fact, although she was a little worried for fear she might not be able to stop gracefully at the end. But Jim continued to smile at her and seemed to hold her more closely to him, and he told her she was much lighter than a feather, lighter than a swan’s feather, lighter even than a thrush’s feather. Then he began laughing and he asked her if she had ever danced with a feather bed, and without giving her time to say no he told her to look over her shoulder and she found herself staring straight at Mrs. Fleming, who was in charge of the hat counter, and whose extravagantly towering hair arrangement was designed to draw attention away from her fatness, which was alarming, seeming to flow solidly not down to the floor but away from her and around in all directions, as though she grew larger while you watched. But Mrs. Fleming had been on the floor all evening. She had not missed a step, dancing around like a young girl with all the younger men, smiling brightly on everyone, like an empress.

Now when Rose found that Jim was inviting her to laugh with him at Mrs. Fleming she was exhilarated, as though she had won a great trophy she had not known existed. She felt that her new dress was as good as any dress in the room, and that she was a natural dancer and could dance with anyone. There was no doubt about it, people would say that she and Jim were meant for each other. He had only been acting with all those other girls. He had only been playing for time. He had not been himself, and it was perfectly possible that he had never been himself all his life until this moment. She would be a very good influence in his life. He would see that her heart was true and that she was not like the other girls, who were only out for a husband.