Page:Glitter (1926).pdf/99

 heavy, Cecily! You hang on my left thumb like—like a coat on a peg! You make a fellow feel like pounding you on the back and saying, 'Buck up, there!' all the time. Thing to do is, never lean, but support your own weight, and dance on your toes, and forget yourself and the man and the floor—just remember the music—get that in your ears and you'll dance all right. I'm not making you mad, am I?"

"No," said Cecily. "You're doing me good. Go on."

Jock obeyed. "Now, about talking. You'll simply have to sit down and think out a line for yourself. That's one thing you absolutely can't do without. And by 'a line' I don't mean a string of stereotyped remarks you're going to make to every man you meet, regardless, I mean a—a way of talking. Different words to different men, but the same spirit, if you get me. The same light touch. Try not to say the obvious thing, but say something only a little different from the obvious—if it's too different they'll brand you as brainy, and then you'll be done for for fair."

"Talk about the man you're with, Cecily. Make 'you' your word-of-all-work. And always, when you meet anyone or any group, make a remark during the first minute after you've been introduced. Let them know you're there. It doesn't matter what you say—anything'll do—but say something. For instance; remember yesterday, when Dopey introduced Bones and me to you in the hall? You said 'How-do-you-do' and let it go at that. You should have wise-cracked something or other—something like, 'Oh, now I know why I came!'—that's not a very good example but it's the best I can think of right now. It's what I heard Gloria Martin say to somebody yesterday."

"Your girl Molly," put in Cecily at this juncture,