Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/73

 'How awfully lovely!' cried little Miss Phyllis.

I felt that it was time to interfere.

'And is that all?' I asked.

'All? How do you mean?' said Mrs. Hilary, with a slight start.

'Well, I mean, did nothing else happen? Weren't there any complications? Weren't there any more troubles, or any more opposition, or any misunderstandings, or anything?' 'No,' said Mrs. Hilary.

'You never quarrelled, or broke it off?'

'No.'

'Nobody came between you?'

'No. It all went just perfectly. Why, of course it did.'

'Hilary's people made themselves nasty, perhaps?' I suggested, with a ray of hope.

'They fell in love with her on the spot,' said Hilary.

Then I rose and stood with my back to the fire.

'I do not know,' I observed, 'what Miss Phyllis thinks about it'

'I think it was just perfect, Mr. Carter.'

'But for my part, I can only say that I never heard of such a dull affair in all my life.'

Dull! gasped Miss Phyllis.

Dull! murmured Mrs. Hilary.

Dull! chuckled Hilary.

'It was,' said I severely, 'without a spark of interest from beginning to end. Such things happen by thousands. It's commonplaceness