"Not like that."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Would you say it if you did?"

"How do I know?"

"Girls are the hardest things to get anything out of—Elizabeth"—little beads of dampness stood out on Tom's forehead—"Elizabeth, will you, I mean, do you, I mean, would you care——"

"Hurry up there," Peggy called.

"Everybody's supposed to take their places," Bill cried, "come ahead, you two."

"They want us," Elizabeth said, relieved that the tête-à-tête was over.

"We're all introduced," Peggy said, "but Elizabeth."

"Miss Swift, I want you to meet my friend Mr. Stoddard," Tom said, doing the honours.