Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/71

 there; and once or twice we met on the cliff. Do you remember that morning, Hilary?'

'What morning?' asked Hilary, patting the dog with immense assiduity.

'Why, the morning I had my white serge on. I'd been bathing, and my hair was down to dry, and you said I looked like a mermaid.'

'Do mermaids wear white serge?' I asked; but nobody took the least notice of me—quite properly.

'And you told me such a lot about yourself; and then we found we were late for lunch.'

'Yes,' said Hilary, suddenly forgetting the dog, 'and your mother gave me an awful glance.'

'Yes, and then you told me that you were very poor, but that you couldn't help it; and you said you supposed I couldn't possibly'

'Well, I didn't think!'

'And I said you were a silly old thing; and then' Mrs. Hilary stopped abruptly.

'How lovely!' remarked little Miss Phyllis in a wistful voice.

'And do you remember,' pursued Mrs. Hilary, laying down her embroidery and clasping her hands on her knees, 'the morning you went to see father?'

'What a row there was!' said Hilary.

'And what an awful week it was after that! I was never so miserable in all my life. I cried till my eyes were quite red, and then I bathed them for an hour, and then I went to the pier, and you were there—and I mightn't speak to you!'