“Isn’t it rather too late for that sort of thing?” I asked. “You seem to
forget that I have been here for the last quarter of an hour.”
“I didn’t know she was going to do it,” he protested.
“Oh, of course,” said I, “that will be your story. Mine, however, I
shall tell in my own way.”
Rhadamanthus blushed again. Evidently he felt that he was in a delicate
position. We were standing thus, facing one another, when the door began
to open again, and Dolly put her head out.
“Oh, it’s you, is it?” she said. “I thought I heard your voice. Come
along and help me to find Archie.”
“This gentleman says I’m not to come in,” said I.
“Oh, what nonsense! Now, you really mustn’t be silly, Mr.
Rhadamanthus--or I shall have to--Mr. Carter, you weren’t there, were
you?”
“I was--and a more interesting piece of scandal it has seldom been--”
“Hush! I didn’t do anything. Now, you know I didn’t, Mr. Carter!”
“No,” said I, “you didn’t. But Rhadamanthus, taking you unawares--”
“Oh, be off with you--both of you!” cried Rhadamanthus.
“That’s sensible,” said Dolly. “Because you know, there really isn’t any
harm in poor Mr. Carter.”
Rhadamanthus vanished. Dolly and I went inside.
“I suppose everything will be very different here,” said Dolly, and I
think she sighed.
Whether it were or not I don’t know, for just then I awoke, and found
myself saying aloud, in answer to the dream voice and the dream face
(which had not gone altogether with the dream).
“Not everything”--a speech that, I agree, I ought not to have made, even
though it were only in a dream.