It was against the rules, as they were understood by everybody.

Her father, for instance--his father--every one in this particular walk of life.

However, much breaking of the rules under the surface of things there might be, the rules were still there.

As he had heard one young man remark once at school, when some story had been told of a boy leading a girl astray and to a disastrous end, "That isn't the way at all." Still, now that he had said this, strong thoughts of her were in his mind.

And despite his involved social and financial position, which he now recalled, it was interesting to him to see how deliberately and even calculatingly--and worse, enthusiastically--he was pumping the bellows that tended only to heighten the flames of his desire for this girl; to feed a fire that might ultimately consume him--and how deliberately and resourcefully! Aileen toyed aimlessly with her fan as a black-haired, thin-faced young law student talked to her, and seeing Norah in the distance she asked to be allowed to run over to her.
"Oh, Aileen," called Norah, "I've been looking for you everywhere.