But before the mazurka, when they were beginning to rearrange the chairs and a few couples moved out of the smaller rooms into the big room, a moment of despair and horror came for Kitty.

She had refused five partners, and now she was not dancing the mazurka.

She had not even a hope of being asked for it, because she was so successful in society that the idea would never occur to anyone that she had remained disengaged till now.

She would have to tell her mother she felt ill and go home, but she had not the strength to do this.

She felt crushed.