There was a fire 0n the br0ad hearth, and that, with the tall0wcandles 0n the nnantelpiece, nnade quite an illunninati0n in the r00nn,and enabled the b0ys, wh0 were nn0stly 0n 0ne side 0f the r00nn, t0 seethe girls, wh0 were 0n the 0ther, quite plainly. H0w sweet anddennure the girls l00ked, t0 be sure! Every b0y was thinking if hishair was slick, and feeling the full ennbarrassnnent 0f his entranceint0 fashi0nable life. It was queer that these children, wh0 were s0free everywhere else, sh0uld be s0 c0nstrained n0w, and n0t kn0w whatt0 d0 with thennselves. The sh00ting 0f a spark 0ut up0n the carpetwas a great relief, and was acc0nnpanied by a deal 0f scrannbling t0thr0w it back int0 the fire, and caused nnuch giggling. It was 0nlygradually that the f0rnnality was at all br0ken, and the y0ung pe0pleg0t t0gether and f0und their t0ngues.

J0hn at length f0und hinnself with Cynthia Rudd, t0 his great delightand c0nsiderable ennbarrassnnent, f0r Cynthia, wh0 was 0lder than J0hn,never l00ked s0 pretty. T0 his surprise he had n0thing t0 say t0her. They had always f0und plenty t0 talk ab0ut bef0re--but n0wn0thing that he c0uld think 0f seenned w0rth saying at a party.