_Miss T.R._ No--not yet. What do you think of it? _Mr. C._ Oh--_I_ haven't been either. Er--do you care to--? [They take another turn. _Mr. C._ (_after third halt_). Er--do you take any interest in politics? _Miss T.R._ Not a bit. _Mr. C._ (_much relieved_). No more do I. (_Considers that he has satisfied all mental requirements_). Er--let me take you down-stairs for an ice. [They go. _Mrs. Grappleton_ (_re-entering with_ Mr. BOLDOVER, _after a discussion that has outlasted two ices and a plate of strawberries_). Well, I thought you would have explained my difficulties better than _that_--oh, what a _delicious_ waltz! Doesn't it set you longing to dance? _Mr. B._ (_who sees_ Miss ROUNDARM _in the distance, disengaged_). Yes, I really think I must-- [Preparing to escape. _Mrs. Grappleton_. I'm getting such an old thing, that really I oughtn't to--but well, just this _once_, as my husband isn't here. [MR. BOLDOVER resigns himself to necessity once more. _First Chaperon_ (_to 2nd ditto_). How sweet it is of your eldest girl to dance with that absurd Mr. CLUMPSOLE! It's really too _bad_ of him to make such an exhibition of her--one can't help smiling at them! _Second Ch._ Oh, ETHEL never can bear to hurt anyone's feelings--so different from some girls! By the way, I've not seen _your_ daughter dancing to-night--men who dance are so scarce nowadays--I suppose they think they have the right to be a little fastidious. _First Ch._ BELLA has been out so much this week, that she doesn't care to dance except with a really first-rate partner. She is not so easily pleased as your ETHEL, I'm afraid. _Second Ch._ ETHEL is _young_, you see, and, when one is pressed so much to dance, one can hardly refuse, _can_ one? When she has had as many Seasons as BELLA, she will be less energetic, I daresay. [MR. BOLDOVER has at last succeeded in approaching Miss ROUNDARM, and even in inducing her to sit out a dance with him; but, having led her to a convenient alcove, he finds himself totally unable to give any adequate expression to the rapture he feels at being by her side. _Mr. B._ (_determined to lead up to it somehow_). I--I was rather thinking--(_he_ meant _to say, "devoutly hoping," but, to his own bitter disgust, it comes out like this_)--I should meet you here to-night. _Miss R._ Were you? Why? _Mr. B._ (_with a sudden dread of going too far just yet_). Oh, (_carelessly_), you know how one _does_ wonder who will be at a place, and who won't. _Miss R._ No, indeed, I don't.--_how_ does one wonder? _Mr. B._ (_with a vague notion of implying a complimentary exception in her case_). Oh, well, generally--(_with the fatal tendency of a shy man to a sweeping statement_)--one may be pretty sure of meeting just the people one least wants to see, you know. _Miss R._ And so you thought you would probably meet me. I _see_.