Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/80

 'But, my dear George, that is surely rather absurd? As you tell me, you spent a long while with the young person'

'The—young—person!'

'You've not told me her name, you see.'

'No, and I shan't. I wonder if she'll be at the Musgraves' to-night!'

'You're sure,' said I soothingly, 'to meet her somewhere in the course of the next few weeks.'

George looked at me. Then he observed with a bitter laugh,—

'It's pretty evident you've never had it. You're as bad as those chaps who write books.'

'Well, but surely they often describe with sufficient warmth and—er—colour'

'Oh, I daresay; but it's all wrong. At least, it's not what I feel. Then look at the girls in books! All beasts!' George spoke with much vehemence; so that I was led to say—

'The lady you are preoccupied with is, I suppose, handsome?'

George turned swiftly round on me.

'Look here, can you hold your tongue, Sam?'

I nodded.

'Then I'm hanged if I won't point her out to you!'

'That's uncommon good of you, George,' said I.

'Then you'll see,' continued George. 'But it's not only her looks, you know, she's the most'

He stopped. Looking round to see why, I