At least so it seemed to Ethel's ears.

And what were they saying?
Anything really witty, sparkling?
No--just chatter, peals of laughter! They were just plain cheap and tough! how red were their faces, warm and moist their lips and eyes! "You're not vivid enough, that's the trouble with you! You've got to be vivider!" she thought.

"You ought to have taken that cocktail!" She drank wine now, a whole glass of it, and tried to be very boisterous with the man on her right, who was smiling back as though he could barely hear her voice.

"He has had too much!" she told herself.

"Oh, how I loathe you--loathe you all!" But later, when they began to dance, she found with a little glow of relief that she could do this rather well.