Summary

The story begins with Leila in a cab on her way to her first ball. She shares the cab with her cousins, the Sheridan siblings: Meg, Laura, Jose, and their brother, Laurie. The girls exclaim how bizarre it is that Leila has never been to a ball, and she explains that in the country her closest neighbor was 15 miles away. Leila finds it difficult to exude indifference for the situation like her cousins; she takes in every detail of the evening – like Laurie removing the tissue paper from his new gloves – and is thrilled to be experiencing this new, unfamiliar life. As she watches her cousins interact with one another, she wishes that she had siblings. She envies their closeness and care for one another.

Soon, they arrive at the dance hall. Laura tells Leila to hold onto her so she does not get...