The bell rang at that moment. Cuthbert approached her. "I should fancy," said he, "that with all the good training you have had from Miss Grace, you would have known better than to talk of old johnnies. Who’s the josser, anyway?" "Cuthbert, my darling boy, you are just a little bit vulgar. Cuthbert, I’ve never been so happy in my life as I am at the present moment." "So long as you don’t weep about it, I don’t mind," said Cuthbert. Elma got up. "I think I could dance," said she. "Do," said Cuthbert, and put his arm round her. To the dismay of the girls, he swung Elma into the midst of the wedding trousseaux. Boxes were snatched up, tissue paper sent flying in all directions. Every girl in the room screamed maledictions on them both. This was quite unlike Elma, to be displaying her own feelings at the risk of anything else in the world. They stopped with a wild whirl. "Elma wanted to dance," said Cuthbert coolly, "and as she hasn’t had any exercise lately, I thought it would be good for her. Have some more?" he asked her. A demon of delight danced in Elma’s eyes. "Why, certainly," she said politely. There was no holding them in at all. Elma had her first real lecture, from Mabel of all people. "I think it’s very inconsiderate of you, Elma--just when we are so busy. You might arrange to stop fooling with Cuthbert when these things are lying about. It isn’t fair of you." "Oh, Mabs," said Elma, "you don’t know! I’ve been under the clouds so long--thunder clouds, with everything raining down on me, and hardly any sunshine at all. And just at the present moment I’m on top of the clouds, treading on air; I can’t describe it. But even although you are so solemn, and Isobel is so vexed, and Jean is so haughty, and Betty is simply vicious, why, even in spite of that, I’d like another dance with Cuthbert." Her eyes shone. (Oh, what--what was taking place down stairs?) Cuthbert said "Come on," in a wild way. These spirits had been natural with him just lately. But this time five girls intervened. "Not if I know it," said Isobel. And "Get you to your Adelaide Maud," cried Betty. So there was no more dancing for Elma just then. "However," said she, "for the first time in my life, I think, I’m really looking forward to Tuesday night." They were to have a dance in honour of Isobel’s wedding. "I think that whether Dr. Merryweather is alive or dead, I shall dance the whole evening." She began to adopt Jean’s manner. "Do you know," she said to her, "I feel so inspired. I think I could go and compose an anthem!" (What were they saying downstairs?) "Oh," said Betty. "She said that just before she took ill, you know. And I lay awake at night thinking she would die. Because I asked you, you know, just in fun, were you going to die because you wanted to write an anthem." "On the contrary," said Elma, "I now want to write an anthem because I’m about to live."