"All in place? Music!" cried the M. C.
The music started with a crash and a bang, Mrs. Ellis had seized Jack's arm and was leading him into the middle of the set.
"Catch hands, Monica," she said.
He loved Monica's thin, nervous, impulsive hands. His heart went hot as he held them. But Monica wouldn't look at him. She looked demurely sideways. But he felt the electric thrill that came to him from her hands, and he didn't want to let go.
She loosed his grasp and pushed him from her.
"Get back to Ma," she whispered. "Corner with Alice."
"Oh, Lor!" thought Jack. For he was cornered and grabbed and twisted by the girl with the wide smile, before he was let go to fall into place beside Ma, panting with a sort of exasperation.
So it continued, grabbing and twisting and twirling, all perfectly ridiculous and undignified. Why, oh, why did human beings do it! Yet it was better than being left out. He was half-pleased with himself.
Something hard and vicious dug him in the ribs. It was the elbow of Easu, who passed skipping like a goat.
Was Easu making a dead set at him? The devil's own anger began to rise in the boy's heart, bringing up with it all the sullen dare-devil that was in him. When he was roused, he cared for nothing in earth or heaven. But his face remained cherubic.