Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/118

 'Pooh! I know what happened at the door.'

'I'm not going to tell you anything more,' said Miss Phyllis.

'But I should like to hear it in your own'

Miss Phyllis was gone! She had suddenly risen and run from the room!

'It did happen at the door,' said I.

'Fancy Phyllis!' mused Mrs. Hilary.

'I hope,' said I, 'that it will be a lesson to you.'

'I shall have to keep my eye on her,' said Mrs. Hilary.

'You can't do it,' said I in easy confidence. I had no fear of little Miss Phyllis being done out of her recreations. 'Meanwhile,' I pursued, 'the important thing is this: my parallel is obvious and complete.'

'There's not the least likeness,' said Mrs. Hilary sharply.

'As a hundred pounds are to a shilling so is the Grand Prix to the young man opposite,' I observed, taking my hat, and holding out my hand to Mrs Hilary.

'I am very angry with you,' she said. 'You've made the child think there was nothing wrong in it.'

'Oh! nonsense,' said I. 'Look how she enjoyed telling it.'

Then, not heeding Mrs. Hilary, I launched into an apostrophe.

'O! divine House Opposite,' I cried. 'Charming House Opposite! What is a man's own dull uneventful home compared with that