"Soon after the people began coming in streams. The band struck up; the hired waiters ran from the house to the marquee. Wherever you looked there were couples strolling, bending to the flowers, greeting, moving on over the lawn. They were like bright birds that had alighted in the Sheridan's garden for this one afternoon, on their way to-where?"(Mansfield). 7. the detail in this scene is important because it shows the rich people in this time enjoy their elegant party, only worrying about themselves. This scene shows the people arriving at the Sheridan's party and enjoying their frivolities that only the rich at that time had. this is significant because it adds to Mansfield's overall point about how the rich class in this time period felt they were higher than everyone else. these people were enjoying their party while down the short hill from their house a poor carter man had just died. These people were not enjoying themselves at a fun garden party. These people were grieving for the life that they just lost, and how they are going to cope now that he is gone. The Sheridan's knew about this fact and, yet, they still go on with their party, and ignore this, insignificant fact. While the rich are enjoying their niceties, the poor people down the hill are grieving for their lost love one. This comparison of actions between the two classes in this story help express the author's main theme. The theme that the rich thinking they were better than everyone else in this time period, and they got to enjoy everything that was best in life.