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 caught his eye and wiggled her fingers at him. "So nice to see you again!"

After a while he cut in on her. "Having a good time?"

"Wonderful."

"Nobody," he said positively, "ever went across any bigger. From the minute you came in the door and spoke right up the way you did"

Cecily rejoiced to quote his bygone phrases whenever applicable. She did it now. Always, when you're introduced to anyone or any group, make a remark within the first minute—let 'em know you're there.

"And believe me you are there," he retorted. "There, and 'way over. I'm all puffed up about it."

They danced without speaking for an interval, both enjoying the antics of the couples rotating about them. The cadet and the straight-haired blonde were presenting an exaggerated interpretation of a Bowery bunny-hug, and Peg and Johnny, by way of contrast, were doing an old-fashioned two-step with overwhelming gravity. Johnny, stiff as a ramrod, stepped as though he were stepping on eggs, and held Peg at arms' length. And Peg bounced and hopped and counted painfully under her breath, "One, two, one, two." The whole was a study in consummate gawkiness.

"Aren't they rich?" whispered Cecily. "Look, Jock—look at Peg's expression! Did you ever see anything funnier? Oh," she added on a little sigh, "I adore all this! It's so crazy. If I ever have a home of my own I'm going to cultivate just this sort of unconventional happy-go-lucky atmosphere."

"So'm I," said Jock without thinking. And then thought that it had been rather a senseless observation, all things considered. A home of which Yvonne