its aromatic sweet odor through the room. Sally went into
the bathroom and turned off the tap before going downstairs to the
kitchen.

"My girl looks radiant tonight!" Uncle Ben said, smiling at her over his
corned beef and cabbage.

Sally blushed and lowered her eyes.

"Ben, you're making her nervous," Sally's mother said, laughing.

Sally looked up and met her uncle's stare, her eyes defiant. "I'm not
bad-looking whatever you may think," she said.

"Oh, now, Sally," Uncle Ben protested. "No sense in getting on a high
horse. Tonight you may find a man who just won't be able to resist you."

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't," Sally said. "You'd be surprised if I
did, wouldn't you?"

It was Uncle Ben's turn to lower his eyes.

"I'll tell the world you've inherited your mother's looks, Sally," he
said. "But a man has to pride himself on something. My defects of
character are pretty bad. But no one has ever accused me of dishonesty."

Sally folded her napkin and rose stiffly from the table.

"Good night, Uncle," she said.

When Sally arrived at the party every foot of floor space was taken up
by dancing couples and the reception room was so crowded that, as each
new guest was announced, a little ripple of displeasure went through the
men in midnight blue and the women in Nile green and lavender.

For a moment Sally did not move, just stood staring at the dancing
couples, half-hidden by one of the potted palms that framed the sides of
the long room.

Moonlight silvered her hair and touched her white throat and arms with a
caress so gentle that simply by closing her eyes she could fancy herself
already in his arms.

Moonlight from tall windows flooding down, turning the dancing guests
into pirouetting ghosts in diaphanous blue and green, scarlet and gold.

_Close your eyes, Sally, close them tight! Now open them! That's it ...
Slowly, slowly ..._

He came out of nothingness into the light and was right beside her
suddenly.

He was tall, but not too tall. His face was tanned mahogany brown, and
his eyes were clear and very bright. And he stood there looking at her
steadily until her mouth opened and a little gasp flew out.

He took her into his arms without a word and they started to dance ...

They were still dancing when he asked her to be his wife.

"You'll marry me, of course," he said. "We haven't too much time. The
years go by so swiftly, like great white birds at sea."

They were very close whe