Her First Ball - Katherine Mansfield Summary
Her First Ball – summary
Leila was on the way to her first ball. In the taxi she imagined that she sat with an unknown young man. The Sheridan girls thought it was strange that she had never been to a ball. Leila tried to stay calm, but she was very excited about this new experience.
They arrived at the drill hall, where the ball was. There were lights and happy couples everywhere in the streets. Inside, the girls went into the Ladies’ room. It was crowded with girls getting ready for the ball. They were putting on powder, hair pins, ribbons.
The programmes were passed around, “Waltz 3”, “Polka 4”, and Leila and the girls went into the hall. The dancing had not begun, and the hall was very noisy with people talking. Leila was amazed, and was glad she had decided to come. Earlier in the afternoon, she hadn’t wanted to go. The wonderful hall and the beautiful people made her breathless.
All the girls stood together on one side of the door, the men on the other side. Leila was then introduced to a lot of girls by her cousin Meg. However, the girls were all looking towards the men.
Suddenly, the men started walking across the floor. When they came up to the girls, the men’s names were put down in the girls’ programs. Several men put their names in Leila’s program too, and one of them was an older, fat man. Then the music began and couples started dancing.
Leila had learned how to dance at boarding school. Suddenly a man came up to her and offered her his arm. Leila enjoyed dancing with him, he steered so well. The man asked if she had been to the Bells’ last week. He was surprised when she told him this was her first dance.
Soon the music stopped, and then started again. Her second partner came along. He asked exactly the same questions as the last one. They danced for a while, and then they went for an ice in the supper room.
When they came back, the fat man was waiting for her. When they were dancing, he told her he had been to balls
Leila was on the way to her first ball. In the taxi she imagined that she sat with an unknown young man. The Sheridan girls thought it was strange that she had never been to a ball. Leila tried to stay calm, but she was very excited about this new experience.
They arrived at the drill hall, where the ball was. There were lights and happy couples everywhere in the streets. Inside, the girls went into the Ladies’ room. It was crowded with girls getting ready for the ball. They were putting on powder, hair pins, ribbons.
The programmes were passed around, “Waltz 3”, “Polka 4”, and Leila and the girls went into the hall. The dancing had not begun, and the hall was very noisy with people talking. Leila was amazed, and was glad she had decided to come. Earlier in the afternoon, she hadn’t wanted to go. The wonderful hall and the beautiful people made her breathless.
All the girls stood together on one side of the door, the men on the other side. Leila was then introduced to a lot of girls by her cousin Meg. However, the girls were all looking towards the men.
Suddenly, the men started walking across the floor. When they came up to the girls, the men’s names were put down in the girls’ programs. Several men put their names in Leila’s program too, and one of them was an older, fat man. Then the music began and couples started dancing.
Leila had learned how to dance at boarding school. Suddenly a man came up to her and offered her his arm. Leila enjoyed dancing with him, he steered so well. The man asked if she had been to the Bells’ last week. He was surprised when she told him this was her first dance.
Soon the music stopped, and then started again. Her second partner came along. He asked exactly the same questions as the last one. They danced for a while, and then they went for an ice in the supper room.
When they came back, the fat man was waiting for her. When they were dancing, he told her he had been to balls