Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/152

 'Bouquet du diable,' said she. (I had never heard of the perfume before.) 'Isn't it sweet?'

'I haven't smelt it since I was a boy,' sighed Rhadamanthus.

'Poor old thing!' said Dolly. 'I'm not going to read all this, you know.' And, with a somewhat contemptuous smile, she walked back to her chair. 'They ought to be ashamed of themselves,' she added, as she sat down. 'It's just because I'm not a fright.'

'Aren't you a fright?' asked Rhadamanthus. 'Where are my spectacles?'

He put them on and looked at Dolly.

'I must go in, you know,' said Dolly, smiling at Rhadamanthus. 'My husband has gone in!'

'I shouldn't have thought you'd consider that conclusive,' said he, with a touch of satire in his tone.

'Don't be horrid!' said Dolly, pouting.

There was a pause. Rhadamanthus examined Dolly through his spectacles.

'This is a very painful duty,' said he at last. 'I have sat here for a great many years, and I have seldom had a more painful duty.'

'It's very absurd of you,' said Dolly.

'I can't help it, though,' said he.

'Do you really mean that I'm not to go in?'

'I do, indeed,' said Rhadamanthus.

Dolly rose. She leant her arms on the raised ledge which ran along the table, and she leant her chin on her hands.

'Really?' she said.

'Really,' said he, looking the other way.