'Yes, heaps. They grow in London. They are always at every party, and they know everybody, and make themselves immensely agreeable. It is all they do. And you see them in the back seats of motor-cars.' She looked at him with some mischief in her eyes. 'And what do you do?' she asked. 'No more than they. Anyone is at liberty to call one a ping-pong. Only I'm not.' 'I know. I was wondering what the difference was according to your description.' 'There is none, I suppose. But don't confuse me with ping-pongs.' She laughed. 'Lord Keynes, you are just adorable,' she said. 'I'll race you to the end of the avenue.' 'Adoring me all the time?' 'Unless you win,' she said. 'Then I will lose on purpose.' 'That will be mean. I never adore meanness. Are you ready?' And her beautiful horse gathered his legs up under him and whirled her down the grassy ride. Bertie got not so good a start, and rode the gauntlet of the flying turf scattered by his heels, till, a bend of the path favouring him, he drew nearly abreast, pursuing her through sunshine and the flecked shadows on the grass. He had seen her day after day in the Revels, night after night at ball or concert, yet never had her beauty seemed to him so compelling as it did now, as, swaying the rein with dainty finger-tip, her body moving utterly in harmony with the grand swing of her horse's stride, she turned her smiling face to him, all ecstasy at the exhilaration of the gallop, all wide-eyed smile of consternation at the decreasing lead which she had got at the start. And all at once, for the first time, his blood was kindled; he had admired her form as one may admire a perfect piece of sculptured grace, he had admired her splendid vitality, her charming companionship, her intense _joie de vivre_. But now all the separate, isolated admirations were fused and glowed flamelike. Suddenly she laughed aloud, as he had nearly caught her up. 'Ride, ride!' she cried, in a sudden burst of intimate, upwelling joy that came from she knew not where. 'You will win.' Apollo pursued Daphne in the vale of Tempe, and in the vales of Long Island Bertie Keynes rode hard after Amelie. And she encouraged him to win, she even drew rein a shade--just a shade--though she had wanted to win so much.