Now they had left the men to smoke.
But soon the men had followed them, and every one was smoking, and Ethel was trying a cigarette.

The talk ran on, about this and that.

But over on her side of the room, Sally had led the conversation back to Joe's old student days, to the Beaux Arts and life in the Quarter.

Ethel heard snatches from time to time, and she kept throwing vigilant glances over at her husband's face.

He seemed to be responding, with a hungriness that thrilled his wife.