Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/117

 'He had no money at all,' said Miss Phyllis.

'It's ideal!' said I.

'And—and we had tea on—on'

'The shilling?' I cried in rapture.

'Yes,' said little Miss Phyllis, 'on the shilling. And he saw me home.'

'Details, please,' said I.

Little Miss Phyllis shook her head.

'And left me at the door.'

'Was it still foggy?' I asked.

'Yes. Or he wouldn't have'

'Now what did he?'

'Come to the door, Mr. Carter,' said Miss Phyllis, with obvious wariness. 'Oh, and it was such fun!'

'I'm sure it was.'

'No, I mean when we were examined in the lectures. I bought the local paper, you know, and read it up, and I got top marks easily, and Miss Green wrote to mother to say how well I had done.'

'It all ends most satisfactorily,' I observed.

'Yes, didn't it?' said little Miss Phyllis.

Mrs. Hilary was grave again.

'And you never told your mother, Phyllis?' she asked.

'N-no, Cousin Mary,' said Miss Phyllis.

I rose and stood with my back to the fire. Little Miss Phyllis took up her sock again, but a smile still played about the corners of her mouth.

'I wonder,' said I, looking up at the ceiling, 'what happened at the door.' Then, as no one spoke, I added,—