Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/115

 Mrs. Hilary, who immediately laid down her embroidery.

'Out with it,' I cried triumphantly. 'Come along, Miss Phyllis. We won't tell, honour bright!'

Miss Phyllis looked again at Mrs. Hilary. Mrs. Hilary is human.

'Well, Phyllis dear,' said she, 'after all this time I should think it my duty'

'It only happened last summer,' said Miss Phyllis.

Mrs. Hilary looked rather put out.

'Still,' she began.

'We must have the story,' said I.

Little Miss Phyllis put down the sock she had been knitting.

'I was very naughty,' she remarked. 'It was my last term at school.'

'I know that age,' said I to Hilary.

'My window looked out towards the street. You're sure you won't tell? Well, there was a house opposite'

'And a young man in it,' said I.

'How did you know that?' asked Miss Phyllis, blushing immensely.

'No girls' school can keep up its numbers without one,' I explained.

'Well, there was, anyhow,' said Miss Phyllis. 'And I and two other girls went to a course of lectures at the Town Hall on literature or something of that kind. We used to have a shilling given us for our tickets.'

'Precisely,' said I. 'A hundred pounds!'