Dollie

“ Dollie finished abruptly, pointing out of the window.
“It’s the man that mother said was looking for board, I suppose,” said Marion thoughtfully. “Father must have taken him and he’s bringing him straight into the kitchen.”
“He’s the handsomest man I ever saw!” cried Dollie, springing up. “Quick! Marion, we must tidy ourselves up a bit, dear! He mustn’t think we are frights, even if we are a farmer’s daughters!”
Farmer Marlowe introduced the girls with an awkward wave of his hand. ”

“ After that you must try to forget him, dear! You are safe from him, now—never again can he harm you! When he is safely disposed of we shall have enough to do, for we must go to work to win fame and fortune.”
Dollie shook her head and a dazed look crept into her eyes.
“To-morrow, Marion. I am so tired to-night! To-morrow my head will be clearer and perhaps I can remember.”
Marion took her in her arms and began smoothing her hair.
“Just one thing, little sister, and then you shall go to sleep. Did you take grandma’s topazes from the old chest, Dollie? ”

“ How Matt Jenkins, the keeper of the Poor Farm, would swear if he could hear that,” he said, roaring. “That’s doing pretty well for an orphan boy to be adopted by a millionaire, isn’t it, Dollie?”
[5]
“Oh, it’s just beautiful!” cried Dollie, in genuine delight. “Oh, I just wish all of the boys from the Poor Farm could have such a chance! ”

“ The teeth of Society loves a bone of scandal to crunch.
After dinner Bertie cut in at Dollie's table, and as her partner found himself absent, playing badly, losing tricks carelessly.
"I'm really sorry," he apologized, as their opponents went across for sandwiches. "I'll wake up now."
"You're out of sorts," Dollie said kindly. "What is it?"
"Debts," he said wearily. "We're the old proverbial china crock, Mrs Gresham, trying to swim with the brass one. What does it cost a woman to dress, Mrs Gresham?"
"It costs Esmé about fifteen hundred a year," said Dollie, shrewdly. ”

“ Dollie hez got tew marry Sile, an’ thet’s all ther’ is abaout it! Why, there’s dozens of gals as would jump at ther’ chance! ’Pears tew me thet Dollie is determined ter fly in ther face o’ Providence in ther foolishest manner. She’d orter be a-thankin’ her stars fer gittin’ sech a husband!”
Dollie stood, duster in hand, staring at her father as he spoke. There was a dull look in her eye, as if she had not fully understood him.
“Dollie! Dollie! Why don’t you speak? Why don’t you tell father what you think! Oh, Dollie, what is the matter?” cried Marion sharply. ”

“ It took days for me to see clearly that Dollie put up the job on me, because she was jealous, but such was the case, and I could thank her for one thing, that being that Leon had failed to penetrate the disguise which she had placed upon me.
“Then there was a ceaseless round of rehearsals; during the day and in the evening after a general mix up of legs, bare arms, slippers and tights, in the main [250] dressing-room, the call boy would summon us to appear in the first act. ”

“ Her companions stared at her. “Don’t be a goose, Dolly. ’Tis very good of you to propose it, but your father and mother, to say nothing of that brother of yours, will want all of your time. They will not care to have strangers there whom they must entertain.”
“They will not entertain you, my dear. 50 I am taking you to entertain a couple of boys whom Fred proposes taking home. Don’t you see how useful you can make yourselves?” ”

“ There would be an awful time in a moment, and her father and mother would want to know who had spoiled Miss Dolly's eyes.
They knew she had been up stairs since tea, and they would charge her with the naughty act. She meant to deny it, for those who are wicked enough to do such things [87] are almost always wicked enough to lie about them.
"Now won't you and I have a nice time, Dolly?" said Nellie, as she rushed into the sitting room, with the doll in her arms. "Come, Katy, let's play Dolly is the queen of England." ”

“ Yet Dolly could not think of living with the pots where they were till Monday. It would kill her, she said. So Archie left the cool shade of the great trees, where Dolly sat doing nothing, and Nelly Phaeton sat splicing the gig whip, and I lay in a deck-chair, with something iced beside me. Outside the sun was broiling hot, and poor Archie mopped his brow at every weary journey across the broad terrace. ”

“ Dolly met his gaze still, and then walked towards him. The band had struck up, and the company were singing with a fine patriotic roar, which rang very nobly in the distance—“Britannia, rule the waves!” Dolly felt like a Briton as the words rolled through her, and the melody lifted her proud heart.
“You have deluded yourself,” she said, standing proudly before the baffled spy; “you have ransacked my father's private desk, which I allowed you to do, because my father has no secrets. He leaves it open half the time, because he is a man of honour. ”

“ Dolly murmured.
"Oh, but I'm sure mamma meant——"
"Mamma meant that you'd been flirting with the curate, Jane."
"Dorothea dear!" gasped Lady Jane.
"The secret of love lies, I suppose, in unselfishness" (I threw out the suggestion in a tentative way) .
"That's what makes Archie such a good husband," said Dolly.
"It must, of course, exist on both sides, Lady Mickleham."
"Oh, no, that's tiresome. It's like getting through the door—nobody'll go first."
"True. You spend all your time trying to be allowed to do what you don't want to do; and the other party does the same." ”

“ Sunday on shipboard is a good day for reflections and heart-searchings. My own problem, after all, is not so baffling as Dolly’s. She is as loyal as a charming and sensible girl can be to a mother like Mrs. Valentine, whose soul, if the truth were told, is about the size of a mustard-seed. A frivolous, useless, bird-minded woman is Dolly’s mother; a woman pecking at life as a canary pecks at its cuttlefish, simply to sharpen its bill. ”

“ Dolly had told her that she would be in a certain place; and when Miss Phyllis came Dolly was not there. The poor little lady wandered about for another hour, looking so lost that one was inclined to send for a policeman; and then she sat down on a seat by the wall, and, in desperation, asked her next-door neighbour if he knew Lady Mickleham by sight, and had he seen her lately? ”

“ So I read it. The silly fellow had written:
Life is Love, the poets tell us
In the little books they sell us;
But pray, ma'am—what's of Life the use,
If Life be Love? For Love's the Deuce.
Dolly began to laugh gently, digging the pin again into her hat.
'I wonder,' said she, 'whether they used to come and sit by this old dial just as we did this morning!'
'I shouldn't be at all surprised,' said I. 'And another point occurs to me, Lady Mickleham.'
'Oh, does it? What's that, Mr. Carter?'
'Do you think that anybody measured the rain-gauge?'
Dolly looked at me very gravely. ”

“ George became red, and began to stammer an apology.
'Oh, I don't believe him,' said Dolly, kindly; 'he always makes people uncomfortable if he can. What were you telling him, Mr. George?'
'It's no use telling him anything. He can't understand,' said George.
'Is she very——?' asked Dolly, fixing doubtfully grave eyes on my young cousin.
'Sam's seen her,' said he, in an excess of shyness. ”

“ Dolly leant over to my cousin, and whispered, 'Tell me her name.' And he whispered something back to Dolly.
'It's awfully kind of you. Lady Mickleham,' he said.
'I am a kind old thing,' said Dolly, all over dimples. 'I can easily get to know them.'
'Oh, you really are awfully kind, Lady Mickleham.'
Dolly smiled upon him, waved her hand to me, and drove off, crying,—
'Do try to make Mr. Carter understand!'
We were left alone. George wore a meditative smile. Presently he roused himself to say,—
'She's really a very kind woman. She's so sympathetic. She's not like you. ”

“ Carter?'
'Certainly I do, Lady Mickleham. You are thinking that you would like to meet me for the first time.'
'Not at all. I was thinking that it would be amusing if you met me for the first time.'
I said nothing. Dolly rose and walked to the window. She swung the tassel of the blind and it bumped against the window. The failing sun caught her ruddy brown hair. There were curls on her forehead, too.
'It's a grand world,' said I. 'And, after all, one can grow old very gradually.'
'You're not really old,' said Dolly, with the fleetest glance at me. A glance should not be over-long. ”

“ Dolly looks frightened, sees him off, goes up to writing-desk, takes out bills, looks at them, throws up her arms in despair, groans, slams down the writing-desk, looks at the chair she has touched in first act, shows great resolution, marches up and touches it. ”

“ Carter.'
'I did not notice it, Lady Mickleham.'
'Would you like to get out?'
'It's miles from my club,' said I discontentedly.
'He's such fun,' said Dolly, with a sudden smile. 'He told Archie that I was the most charming woman in London. You've never done that!'
'He said the same about the pudding-faced girl,' I observed.
There was a pause. Then Dolly asked,—
'How is your nose?'
'The carriage-exercise is doing it good,' said I.
'If,' observed Dolly, 'he is so silly now, what will he be at your age?'
'A wise man,' said I.
'He suggested that I might write to him,' bubbled Dolly. ”

“ Dolly never knew what sort of a figure the third was; she could not see herself, and she never thought about it. Yet she was a foil to the other two, and they were a foil to her, as she sat there at the corner of the hearth on a low cushion, in her black dress, and with no ornament about her other than the cameo ring. A creature very different from the beauty at the other corner of the fireplace; more delicate, more sensitive, more spiritual; oddly and inexplicably, more of a child and more of a woman. ”

“ Poor Miss Dolly!"
Most of us are mercifully ignorant of the sympathy that surrounds us.
"It's wonderful," he said, when she rejoined him in the drawing-room. "I feel like the Prodigal Son. When I think of the drawing-rooms I've seen. The gim-crack trumpery, the curtains and the pictures and the furniture constantly shifted, the silly chatter, the obvious curios, the commonplace rarities, the inartistic art, and the brainless empty chatter, spiteful as often as not, and all the time this has been going on beautifully, quietly, perfectly. Dolly, you're a lucky girl!" ”

“ Miss Dolly looked for an instant in my direction.
'Nor with anyone else?' I said.
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 honour—got to meet a man at the club. Good-bye, 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. ”

“ Dolly kissed the kitten and went on, "About you and Dulcie Mildmay."
"That's very ancient history," said I, rather disgusted.
"You admit it is history, though?"
"History is what women have agreed to repeat, Lady Mickleham."
"Oh, if you're going to take it like that! I thought we were friends—and——"
"There is no greater mark of friendship," I observed, "than a complete absence of interest in one's doings."
"An absence of interest?" smiled Dolly, re-tying the kitten's bow in a meditative way.
"It makes the heart grow fonder (not, of course, that that's always desirable) . ”

“ Three girls and two boys."
"Getting big too, aren't they?"
"Fine children, Mr. Carter," observed Dolly cheerfully.
"She was certainly a clever girl—in those days."
"Ah, in those days!" Dolly murmured, with an indulgent smile—one that means you can go on if you like, but that you are obviously rather foolish.
"Idyllic happiness," said I, resuming my seat, "comes to very few of us, Lady Mickleham."
"Well, one marries, or something, you see."
"There is, of course, one's career."
"Archie's quite keen on being an Under-Secretary." ”

“ I walked towards the door. Dolly stood by the table fingering the album. I had almost reached the door; then I happened to look round.
'Mr. Carter!' said Dolly, as though a new idea had struck her.
'What is it, Lady Mickleham?'
'Well, you know, Mr. Carter, I—I shall try to forget that mistake of yours.'
'You're very kind, Lady Mickleham.'
'But,' said Dolly, with a troubled smile, 'I—I'm quite afraid I shan't succeed, Mr. Carter.'
After all, the smoking-room is meant for smoking. ”

“ It was probably only kindness, but Dolly suddenly turned her eyes away from me and fixed them on the fire; she took the fan up again and twirled it in her hand; a queer little smile bent her lips.
'I hope the poor man won't die,' said Dolly in a low voice. ”

“ Hilary,” I began, “is an exceedingly attractive—”
Dolly rose with a sigh.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“More pots,” said Dolly, standing opposite me. “I must go on, you see.”
“Till when, Lady Mickleham?”
“Till you tell the truth,” said Dolly, and she suddenly burst into a little laugh.
“Woman—woman—woman!” said I again. “Let’s go in to lunch.”
“I’m going to carry the pots,” said Dolly. “It’s awfully hot, Mr. Carter—and look at my poor hands!” ”

“ Time to talk of that when he can keep one. But now, Dolly dear, here's your father and Adam Wilson comin' across the field. I want to see you settled, Dolly. He's a steady young man. He's blue ribbon, and has money in the Post Office. ”