Page:The Other House (London, William Heinemann, 1896), Volume 1.djvu/52

38 his "states," for Mrs. Beever, was the state of his being a boy again, and the sign of it was his talking nonsense. It was not an example of that tendency, but she noted almost as if it were that almost as soon as the Doctor had left them he asked if she had not brought over to him that awfully pretty girl.

"She has been here, but I sent her home again." Then his visitor added: "Does she strike you as awfully pretty?"

"As pretty as a pretty song! I took a tremendous notion to her."

"She's only a child—for mercy's sake don't show your notion too much!" Mrs. Beever ejaculated.

Tony Bream gave his bright stare; after which, with his still brighter alacrity, "I see what you mean: of course I won't!" he declared. Then, as if candidly and conscientiously wondering: "Is it showing it too much to hope she'll come back to luncheon?"

"Decidedly—if Julia's so down."

"That's only too much for Julia—not for her," Tony said with his flurried smile. "But Julia knows about her, hopes she's coming and wants