his body seemed to hang all loose and quaking in between, like a shadow.

‘I think we’ve all gone mad,’ she said, laughing rather frightened.

‘Pity we aren’t madder,’ he answered, as he kept up the incessant shaking dance. Then suddenly he leaned up to her and kissed her fingers lightly, putting his face to hers and looking into her eyes with a pale grin. She stepped back, affronted.

‘Offended — ?’ he asked ironically, suddenly going quite still and reserved again. ‘I thought you liked the light fantastic.’

‘Not like that,’ she said, confused and bewildered, almost affronted. Yet somewhere inside her she was fascinated by the sight of his