of a heavy watch chain that festooned his soiled crimson velvet vest and held it up, explaining, "Symbol of fourth dimension."
"That white thing's a Coolidge election clicker!" Vida said.
With spasmodic pressure of his beringed thumb there issued from this toy an accompaniment of cricket clicks to monotone sounds from contortive thick lips and large rotting teeth.
"I - me - Ahee - Ahee - oo - wahn - too - tree - va - oo - me - me I - ba da da ee - fffff - nyah - I - me - ya ya ya - I - me me me -" he went on interminably.
Everyone glanced at everyone else uncomfortably and at Figente who sat, head sunken. No one dared laugh because these days one could not risk denying modern art, especially in this house.
"Plenty of me's," Vida said to Lucy.
"I'm going to laugh."
"Think of something else."
She did. Figente draped in his toga looked like the Buddha with the smile she had bought him for Christmas. It had been snowing gently when she got into the taxi after the show. It was the first snow since the walk in the Park with Vermillion and couples were walking, arms full of brightly wrapped packages and, though she hated being alone, she wanted to get out and walk among the others because she felt lonesome which was silly because Ranna was waiting for her. She saw Simone and Vermillion come in but remain at the door as Cynski was still spouting. Simone was radiant and striking in a plain black crepe dress with a low square neck and no trimming except two shoulder straps that tied in stiff bows. Leave it to the French! They had missed her dance but then Vermillion didn't care about dancing. Only about Simone.
Cynski came suddenly to an end and bowed, beaming to the applause which though principally derisive was genuine in one corner.
Mary Doyle could not place the roundheaded young man with center-parted dark hair and short neck who lighted her cigarette. He had spoken to her while Kevin was off drinking himself into a stupor with that exhibitionistic Allwood girl who seemed anxious to show everyone she had nothing on under her skirt, and him after telling her before they came that she wasn't fastidious.
"There truly is something in those sounds if you listen carefully," Mrs. Doyle said to Semanter Klug.
Semy nodded agreement, wondering whether the wife of Kevin
