duty," said he, at last. "I have sat here for a
great many years, and I have seldom had a more painful duty."

"It's very absurd of you," said Dolly.

"I can't help it, though," said he.

"Do you really mean that I'm not to go in?"

"I do, indeed," said Rhadamanthus.

Dolly rose. She leant her arms on the raised ledge which ran along the
table, and she leant her chin on her hands.

"Really?" she said.

"Really," said he, looking the other way.

A sudden change came over Dolly's face. Her dimples vanished; her
eyes grew pathetic and began to shine rather than to sparkle; her lip
quivered just a little.

"You're very unkind," she said in an extremely low tone. "I had no idea
you would be so unkind."

Rhadamanthus seemed very uncomfortable.

"Don't do that," he said, quite sharply, fidgeting with the blotting
paper.

Dolly began to move slowly round the table. Rhadamanthus sat still. When
she was standing close by him, she put her hand lightly on his arm and
said:

"Please do, Mr. Rhadamanthus."

"It's as much as my place is worth," he grumbled.

Dolly's eyes shone still, but the faintest little smile began to play
about her mouth.

"Some day," she said (with total inappropriateness, now I come to think
of it, though it did not strike me so at the time), "you'll be glad to
remember having done a kind thing. When you're old--because you are
not really old now--you will say, 'I'm glad I didn't send poor Dolly
Mickleham away crying.'"

Rhadamanthus uttered an inarticulate sound--half impatience, half, I
fancy, something else.

"We are none of us perfect, I dare say. If I asked your wife--"

"I haven't got a wife," said Rhadamanthus.

"That's why you're so hard-hearted," said Dolly. "A man who's got a wife
is never hard on other women."

There was another pause. Then Rhadamanthus, looking straight at the
blotting paper, said:

"Oh, well, don't bother me. Be off with you;" and as he spoke, the door
behind him opened.

"Oh, you old dear!" she cried; and, stooping swiftly, she kissed
Rhadamanthus. "You're horribly bristly!" she laughed; and then, before
he could move, she ran through the door.

I rose from my seat, taking my hat and stick in my hand. I felt, as
you may suppose, that I had been there long enough. When I moved
Rhadamanthus looked up, and with an attempt at unconsciousness observed:

"We will proceed with your case now, if you please, Mr. Carter."

I looked him full in the face.