Barbara took her highball without a change of expression or color. Freda tried to refuse but they laughed at her. “Come. You came to the city to have a good time.” She felt that she couldn’t refuse without seeming prudish. She has a fear of what the liquor might do to her, a desire to do what the rest did. Her head felt a little light, but that was all, and that only for a moment. It wasn’t unpleasant. They all finished the flask. They danced again, Freda with Tony Bates, Barbara with Ted. Then Ted sought Freda again. He danced as he had the first time but he held her even closer, more firmly, making his position into an embrace, and yet dancing perfectly. From over one of the young men’s shoulders, Barbara saw it. Her face did not show any feeling. On the way home the embracing was a little promiscuous. Allie, dull from the liquor, lay sprawling against Tony’s rather indifferent shoulder. Bob let the other Bates boy paw her lazily and Freda found herself rather absorbed in keeping Ted from going to lengths which she felt were hardly justified even by three or four highballs. It was when they were home again after the young men had left that Freda felt the dislike of the other girl. It was as if Barbara had been waiting for the young men to go to make Freda uncomfortable. “I hope Ted didn’t embarrass you, Miss Thorstad?’ “Embarrass me?” “Ted is such a scandalous flirt that he is apt, I think, to embarrass people who aren’t used to him. I always keep him at a distance because he talks about girls most awfully.” “Oh, does he?” “I’m glad he didn’t bother you. Don’t let him think you like him. He makes the most terrific game of people who let themselves in for it.” “Lots of people do let themselves in for it too,” said Allie with meaning. Barbara steered away from the dangers of that subject. “I hope you’re going to enjoy yourself, Miss Thorstad. There are no end of things going on.” “You mustn’t bother about me,” said Freda, “I’m afraid that I am going to be a burden.” Barbara let a minute pass, a minute of insult. “No--not at all.” “Nonsense,” said Allie, “everybody’ll be crazy about you. You dance stunningly and the Bateses and Ted were nutty about you. You don’t have to worry.” Freda said good night and left them. She went slowly up the staircase, thinking what fun it would be to climb that staircase every night, to go down it by natural right, to belong to it. The sense of Barbara’s dislike pervaded everything else. She felt that she must have made a fool of herself with that young fellow. He must have thought her a dreadful idiot. Ah, well, the first evening was over and she’d had some experience. She had been at a dinner where there was an entrée, she had used a fish fork, she had danced at a roadhouse. She laughed at herself a little.