Now this is actually a very interesting question, because
you might think you have enough proof in the text to question whether Leila does
actually suffer a loss of innocence. Note the way in which, although the words of the
old man severely impact her, just a few minutes later she is dancing away again as if
nothing had happened and does not even remember the old man when she bumps into the old
man. Although his words are definitely important, they seem to leave no lasting impact.
Note the way that Leila feels she will have to leave the ball, but then quickly is swept
away once more by the magic of it:
She would have to dance, out of politness, until
she could find Meg. Very stiffly she walked into the middle; very haughtily she put her
hand on his sleeve. But in one minute, in one turn, her feet glided, glided. The lights,
the azaleas, the dresses, the pink paces, the velvet chairs, all became one beautiful
flying wheel.
Normally, when
we talk about the theme of loss of innocence, it is associated with some kind of
permanent change that the protagonist suffers, a change that makes them older, wiser and
maturer. Here we see that although Leila is initially effected by the splash of reality
she is given, and wants to stop dancing, this is just temporary. The way she forgets the
old man and gets enraptured once more by the ball suggests that this story is not about
the loss of innocence whatsoever.
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