Page:Anthony Hope - The Dolly Dialogues.djvu/86

 'I hope not,' I exclaimed apprehensively. 'Whose is this?'

'Archie's.'

'May I see a bit?'

'Not a bit,' said Dolly. 'Archie's is—is rather foolish, Mr. Carter.'

'So I suppose,' said I.

'Dear boy!' said Dolly reflectively.

'I hate sentiment,' said I. 'Here's a long one. Who wrote?'

'Oh, you mustn't look at that—not at that, above all!'

'Why above all?' I asked with some severity.

Dolly smiled; then she observed in a soothing tone,—

'Perhaps it won't be "above all" when you've written yours, Mr. Carter.'

'By the way,' I said carelessly, 'I suppose Archie sees all of them?'

'He has never asked to see them,' answered Lady Mickleham.

The reply seemed satisfactory; of course, Archie had only to ask. I took a clean quill and prepared to write.

'You promise to be sincere, you know,' Dolly reminded me.

I laid down my pen.

'Impossible!' said I firmly.

'Oh, but why, Mr. Carter?'

'There would be an end of our friendship.friendship.' [sic] 'Do you think as badly of me as all that?' asked Dolly with a rueful air.

I leant back in my chair and looked at Dolly.