Part 3

“Well, it is, really.”

“I don’t call her such a bad-looking girl, though.” (I hadn’t seen her face.)

“Mr. Carter! She’s hideous!”

I dropped that subject.

“And now,” said Miss Dolly again, “he cuts me dead!”

“It is the height of ingratitude. Why, to love you was a liberal education!”

“Yes, wasn’t it? How nicely you put that. A liberal education!’ I shall tell Archie.” (Archie is Lord Mickleham.)

“What, about Phil Meadows?”

“Goodness me, no, Mr. Carter. Just what you said, you know.”

“But why not tell Mickleham about Phil Meadows?” I urged. “It’s all to your credit, you know.”

“I know, but men are so foolish. You see, Archie thinks--”

“Of course he does.”

“You might let me finish.”

“Archie thinks you were never in love before.”

“Yes, he does. Well, of course, I wasn’t in love with Phil--”

“Not a little bit?”

“Oh, well--”

“Nor with any one else?”

Miss Dolly looked for an instant in my direction.

“Nor with any one else?” said I.

Miss Dolly looked straight in front of her.

“Nor with--” I began.

“Hullo, old chappie, where did you spring from?”

“Why, Archie!” cried Miss Dolly.

“Oh, how are you, Mickleham, old man? Take this seat; I’m just off--just off. Yes, I was, upon my honor--got to meet a man at the club. Goodbye, Miss Foster. Jove! I’m late!”

And as I went I heard Miss Dolly say, “I thought you were never coming, Archie, dear!” Well, she didn’t think he was coming just then. No more did I.

CORDIAL RELATIONS

The other day I paid a call on Miss Dolly Foster for the purpose of presenting to her my small offering on the occasion of her marriage to Lord Mickleham. It was a pretty little bit of jewelry--a pearl heart, broken (rubies played the part of blood) and held together by a gold pin, set with diamonds, the whole surmounted by an earl’s coronet. I had taken some trouble about it, and was grateful when Miss Dolly asked me to explain the symbolism.