Nobody jeered now. All was filled with an expectant hush.
Then, as if strange and a-far from myself, I stepped easily into the
very centre of the half moon of squatting beasts, and made my speech ...
at the end, there was hardly any applause till I was safely out of the
cage ... Then there was a tumult. Shouts, cat-calls, whoops, and a great
noise of hearty hand-clapping.
I stood beside the ropes as the people of Laurel surged by, many of them
shaking me by the hand ... Vanna came by, with the big football player
with her, bulking behind her slight loveliness ... lightly she put a
tiny, gloved hand in mine ... a glove neatly mended at the fingers ...
congratulating me, half with feeling, half with amusement....
"That was reckless and brave, Mr. Gregory."
I was speechless with frightened delight over her words, and the
pressure of her hand.