doueranother．Ontherges，namesandnumbersfshed．"Mr．XXXdonatedXXX"，whileappreciativeappuseroseahenthebandabruptlygedtoahot，fasttuhedancersacceleratedtheirspeed,swingiicallytothemusic．Theirfrenziedforms，swingingtotherhythmofasilentchorus，dangiion，remindedDimitrioftheshadowysilhouetteshesawintheeroftheluxuriousofficebuildingthatafternoon．Foramomeheillusionthatthey，too，hadjoiheball．Butno．Thesewererealfleshandbloodhumans，thoughtheirdeliriouslygiddymovementsseemedtoindicateeageriionstoseparatetheirsouls,ifany,fromtheirbodiesthroughtheseintensevibrations．Answeringthecallofnature，Dimitristoodupaheballroom．Ohroughthespacious，emptyhallway，hewasjoinedbyanoldgentlemaninhissixties，boundforthesamedestination．Almostatthesametime，theyehemen’sroom，eachchoseaurinandstoodsidebyside．Withthesamemovement,theyunzipped,tookouttheirpenisesago．Dimitriquicklyputbackhispenisandzippeduphistrousers,buttheoldmanwasslowinurinating．Afteroversixtyyearsofuse,hismuscleswerefbbyandloosearoublepressingthesuperfluousliquidoutofhisbody．AsDimitriwasdryinghishands,theoldmaothebasin．Hesmiledandsaid，

    "Hi!Howd’yado?I’mMikeKeilly.”

    "Hi!Gdtomeetyou．Youmustbethegreatrealestatemag．I’mDimitri.”

    "Gdtomeetyoutoo．What’syourlineofbusiness?"

    "Idon’treallydomuch．Justloafaroundandpyalittlewithstocks.”

    "YoumustbeoheWallStreetmoversandshakers.”

    "Whyso?"

    "BecauseonlymajortsofWorldBankalloverthenationwereionight.Someflewinespeciallyforit．IknewpresidentKaffeewasagreatoneforbusiness,butIneverdreamedhewasinforcharityaswell.”Hemovedovertoohehand-dryingmaesandtinued．"Iwonderwhyheisonight．It’simpolitenottoshowupathisownfund-raisingfun，especiallywhentheguestscameathispersonalrequest．Iwonderwhat’skeepinghim?"Dimitrikeptadiscreetsilencewhilesayingtohimself，

    "Ofcoursehe’te．He’sbeenturostoneandnolongerotakealeek.”

    14

    "I’mafraidhisabsencewilldampentheardorofthedonors.”

    “No,Idon’tthinkso,”saidDimitri．"I’msuretheywilttaintheirprojectedamountandmore.”

    "I’mnotasoptimisticasyouare,sir.”

    "Justwaitaheyeachotheraheirownway，theirreflesdisappearingfromthepolishedmirror．

    Thehallwaywasnotasdesertedasitwas．Ayoungmanwasusingthepublieatoneendandainglybeautifulwomaninapaleblue,daringly-cuteveninggownwassmokinginthelounge．Hergown,whichleftonedazzlingwhiteshoulderandarmbare,wassewedwithgoldthread．Shesatthere,legsgracefullycrossed,onehandholdingalightedcigarette，apictureofidece．ShemightbeanythingfromadissoluteharlottoaBohemianartist．AsDimitrisaunteredbyhersofa，hegncedcasuallyather．Theenteroftwopairsofeyescausedanunpretedimpactthatgavehisheartagreatjolt．Thatnobleforehead,finelychiseled,sadeyesdeepasapool，seemedhauntinglyfamiliar，buthecouldnotforthelifeofhimrememberwherehehadseenherorrecallwhichdreamshehadonceappearedin．Heheardsomeonecall，

    "el,eiinghasbegun!"Andtheyoungutouthercigarettebutt,stoodupandfollowedDimitriintotheballroom．

    ThemusichadstoppedandMegginnwasoform,speakingpassionatelyandpersuasivelyabouthercharity．ShethenthaheabsentMr．Kaffeeforspthefunan

doueranother．Ontherges，namesandnumbersfshed．"Mr．XXXdonatedXXX"，whileappreciativeappuseroseahenthebandabruptlygedtoahot，fasttuhedancersacceleratedtheirspeed,swingiicallytothemusic．Theirfrenziedforms，swingingtotherhythmofasilentchorus，dangiion，remindedDimitrioftheshadowysilhouetteshesawintheeroftheluxuriousofficebuildingthatafternoon．Foramomeheillusionthatthey，too，hadjoiheball．Butno．Thesewererealfleshandbloodhumans，thoughtheirdeliriouslygiddymovementsseemedtoindicateeageriionstoseparatetheirsouls,ifany,fromtheirbodiesthroughtheseintensevibrations．Answeringthecallofnature，Dimitristoodupaheballroom．Ohroughthespacious，emptyhallway，hewasjoinedbyanoldgentlemaninhissixties，boundforthesamedestination．Almostatthesametime，theyehemen’sroom，eachchoseaurinandstoodsidebyside．Withthesamemovement,theyunzipped,tookouttheirpenisesago．Dimitriquicklyputbackhispenisandzippeduphistrousers,buttheoldmanwasslowinurinating．Afteroversixtyyearsofuse,hismuscleswerefbbyandloosearoublepressingthesuperfluousliquidoutofhisbody．AsDimitriwasdryinghishands,theoldmaothebasin．Hesmiledandsaid，

    "Hi!Howd’yado?I’mMikeKeilly.”

    "Hi!Gdtomeetyou．Youmustbethegreatrealestatemag．I’mDimitri.”

    "Gdtomeetyoutoo．What’syourlineofbusiness?"

    "Idon’treallydomuch．Justloafaroundandpyalittlewithstocks.”

    "YoumustbeoheWallStreetmoversandshakers.”

    "Whyso?"

    "BecauseonlymajortsofWorldBankalloverthenationwereionight.Someflewinespeciallyforit．IknewpresidentKaffeewasagreatoneforbusiness,butIneverdreamedhewasinforcharityaswell.”Hemovedovertoohehand-dryingmaesandtinued．"Iwonderwhyheisonight．It’simpolitenottoshowupathisownfund-raisingfun，especiallywhentheguestscameathispersonalrequest．Iwonderwhat’skeepinghim?"Dimitrikeptadiscreetsilencewhilesayingtohimself，

    "Ofcoursehe’te．He’sbeenturostoneandnolongerotakealeek.”

    14

    "I’mafraidhisabsencewilldampentheardorofthedonors.”

    “No,Idon’tthinkso,”saidDimitri．"I’msuretheywilttaintheirprojectedamountandmore.”

    "I’mnotasoptimisticasyouare,sir.”

    "Justwaitaheyeachotheraheirownway，theirreflesdisappearingfromthepolishedmirror．

    Thehallwaywasnotasdesertedasitwas．Ayoungmanwasusingthepublieatoneendandainglybeautifulwomaninapaleblue,daringly-cuteveninggownwassmokinginthelounge．Hergown,whichleftonedazzlingwhiteshoulderandarmbare,wassewedwithgoldthread．Shesatthere,legsgracefullycrossed,onehandholdingalightedcigarette，apictureofidece．ShemightbeanythingfromadissoluteharlottoaBohemianartist．AsDimitrisaunteredbyhersofa，hegncedcasuallyather．Theenteroftwopairsofeyescausedanunpretedimpactthatgavehisheartagreatjolt．Thatnobleforehead,finelychiseled,sadeyesdeepasapool，seemedhauntinglyfamiliar，buthecouldnotforthelifeofhimrememberwherehehadseenherorrecallwhichdreamshehadonceappearedin．Heheardsomeonecall，

    "el,eiinghasbegun!"Andtheyoungutouthercigarettebutt,stoodupandfollowedDimitriintotheballroom．

    ThemusichadstoppedandMegginnwasoform,speakingpassionatelyandpersuasivelyabouthercharity．ShethenthaheabsentMr．Kaffeeforspthefunan