Quotes by Anthony Hope

"I haven't the least notion of what you mean," remarked Mrs. Hilary, stiffly. "I suppose it's something silly--or worse." I looked at her in some puzzle. "Have you no longing for the House Opposite?" I asked. Mrs. Hilary looked at me. Her eyes ceased to be absolutely blank. She put her arm through Hilary's and answered gently-- "I don't want the House Opposite." "Ah," said I, giving my hat a brush, "but maybe you remember the House--when it was Opposite?" Mrs. Hilary, one arm still in Hilary's, gave me her hand. She blushed and smiled. "Well," said she, "it was your fault; so I won't scold Phyllis." "No, don't my dear," said Hilary, with a laugh. As for me, I went downstairs, and, in absence of mind, bade my cabman drive to the House Opposite. But I have never got there. A QUICK CHANGE "Why not go with Archie?" I asked, spreading out my hands. "It will be dull enough, anyhow," said Dolly, fretfully. "Besides, it's awfully bourgeois to go to the theater with one's husband." "Bourgeois," I observed, "is an epithet which the riffraff apply to what is respectable, and the aristocracy to what is decent." "But it's not a nice thing to be, all the same," said Dolly, who is impervious to the most penetrating remark. "You're in no danger of it," I hastened to assure her. "How should you describe me, then?" she asked, leaning forward, with a smile. "I should describe you, Lady Mickleham," I replied discreetly, "as being a little lower than the angels." Dolly's smile was almost a laugh as she asked: "How much lower, please, Mr. Carter?" "Just by the depth of your dimples," said I thoughtlessly. Dolly became immensely grave. "I thought," said she, "that we never mentioned them now, Mr. Carter." "Did we ever?" I asked innocently. "I seemed to remember once: do you recollect being in very low spirits one evening at Monte?" "I remember being in very low water more than one evening there." "Yes; you told me you were terribly hard-up." "There was an election in our division that year," I remarked, "and I remitted 30 percent of my rents." "You did--to M.

said my brother’s wife. “My dear Rose,” I answered, laying down my egg-spoon, “why in the world should I do anything? My position is a comfortable one. I have an income nearly sufficient for my wants (no one’s income is ever quite sufficient, you know), I enjoy an enviable social position: I am brother to Lord Burlesdon, and brother-in-law to that charming lady, his countess. Behold, it is enough!” “You are nine-and-twenty,” she observed, “and you’ve done nothing but--” “Knock about? It is true. Our family doesn’t need to do things.” This remark of mine rather annoyed Rose, for everybody knows (and therefore there can be no harm in referring to the fact) that, pretty and accomplished as she herself is, her family is hardly of the same standing as the Rassendylls. Besides her attractions, she possessed a large fortune, and my brother Robert was wise enough not to mind about her ancestry. Ancestry is, in fact, a matter concerning which the next observation of Rose’s has some truth. “Good families are generally worse than any others,” she said. Upon this I stroked my hair: I knew quite well what she meant. “I’m so glad Robert’s is black!” she cried. At this moment Robert (who rises at seven and works before breakfast) came in. He glanced at his wife: her cheek was slightly flushed; he patted it caressingly. “What’s the matter, my dear?” he asked. “She objects to my doing nothing and having red hair,” said I, in an injured tone. “Oh! of course he can’t help his hair,” admitted Rose. “It generally crops out once in a generation,” said my brother. “So does the nose. Rudolf has got them both.” “I wish they didn’t crop out,” said Rose, still flushed. “I rather like them myself,” said I, and, rising, I bowed to the portrait of Countess Amelia. My brother’s wife uttered an exclamation of impatience. “I wish you’d take that picture away, Robert,” said she. “My dear!” he cried. “Good heavens!” I added. “Then it might be forgotten,” she continued. “Hardly--with Rudolf about,” said Robert, shaking his head.

The morning room is a large room. Archie was somewhere in it. Lady Mickleham held a jar containing pate de foie gras; from time to time she dug a piece out with a fork and flung the morsel to a big retriever which was sitting on the terrace. The morning was fine, but cloudy. Lady Mickleham wore blue. The dog swallowed the pate with greediness. "It's so bad for him," sighed she; "but the dear likes it so much." "How human the creatures are," said I. "Do you know," pursued Lady Mickleham, "that the Dowager says I'm extravagant. She thinks dogs ought not to be fed on pate de foie gras." "Your extravagance," I observed, "is probably due to your having been brought up on a moderate income. I have felt the effect myself." "Of course," said Dolly, "we are hit by the agricultural depression." "The Carters also," I murmured, "are landed gentry." "After all, I don't see much point in economy, do you, Mr. Carter?" "Economy," I remarked, putting my hands in my pockets, "is going without something you do want in case you should, some day, want something which you probably won't want." "Isn't that clever?" asked Dolly in an apprehensive tone. "Oh, dear, no," I answered reassuringly. "Anybody can do that--if they care to try, you know." Dolly tossed a piece of pate to the retriever. "I have made a discovery lately," I observed. "What are you two talking about?" called Archie. "You're not meant to hear," said Dolly, without turning round. "Yet, if it's a discovery, he ought to hear it." "He's made a good many lately," said Dolly. She dug out the last bit of pate, flung it to the dog, and handed the empty pot to me. "Don't be so allegorical," I implored. "Besides, it's really not just to Archie. No doubt the dog is a nice one, but--" "How foolish you are this morning! What's the discovery?" "An entirely surprising one." "Oh, but let me hear! It's nothing about Archie, is it?" "No, I've told you all Archie's sins." "Nor Mrs. Hilary? I wish it was Mrs. Hilary!" "Shall we walk on the terrace?" I suggested. "Oh, yes, let's," said Dolly, stepping out, and putting on a broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat, which she caught up from a chair hard by.

"I shan't say a word about you," said Mrs. Hilary. "Ah, well, that will be better still," said I. "She'll have forgotten your very name," remarked Mrs. Hilary. I opened the door, but a thought struck me. I turned round and observed: "I dare say her hair's just as soft as ever. Still--I'll lunch some other day." A VERY FINE DAY "I see nothing whatever to laugh at," said Mrs. Hilary coldly, when I had finished. "I did not ask you to laugh," I observed mildly. "I mentioned it merely as a typical case." "It's not typical," she said, and took up her embroidery. But a moment later she added: "Poor boy! I'm not surprised." "I'm not surprised either," I remarked. "It is, however, extremely deplorable." "It's your own fault. Why did you introduce him?" "A book," I observed, "might be written on the Injustice of the Just. How could I suppose that he would--?" By the way, I might as well state what he--that is, my young cousin George--had done. Unless one is a genius, it is best to aim at being intelligible. Well, he was in love; and with a view of providing him with another house at which he might be likely to meet the adored object, I presented him to my friend Lady Mickleham. That was on a Tuesday. A fortnight later, as I was sitting in Hyde Park (as I sometimes do), George came up and took the chair next to me. I gave him a cigarette, but made no remark. George beat his cane restlessly against the leg of his trousers. "I've got to go up tomorrow," he remarked. "Ah, well, Oxford is a delightful town," said I. "D----d hole," observed George. I was about to contest this opinion when a victoria drove by. A girl sat in it, side by side with a portly lady. "George, George!" I cried. "There she is--Look!" George looked, raised his hat with sufficient politeness, and remarked to me: "Hang it, one sees those people everywhere." I am not easily surprised, but I confess I turned to George with an expression of wonder. "A fortnight ago--" I began. "Don't be an ass, Sam," said George, rather sharply.

"I've seen the piece twice," said I. "How tiresome of you! You've seen everything twice." "I've seen some things much oftener," I observed. "I'll get a nice girl for you to talk to, and I'll have a young man." "I don't want my girl to be too nice," I observed. "She shall be pretty," said Dolly generously. "I don't mind if I do come with you," said I. "What becomes of Archie?" "He's going to take his mother and his sisters to the Albert Hall." My face brightened. "I am unreasonable," I admitted. "Sometimes you are," said Dolly. "I have much to be thankful for. Have you ever observed a small boy eat a penny ice?" "Of course I have," said Dolly. "What does he do when he's finished it?" "Stop, I suppose." "On the contrary," said I, "he licks the glass." "Yes, he does," said Dolly meditatively. "It's not so bad--licking the glass," said I. Dolly stood opposite me, smiling. At this moment Archie entered. He had been working at his lathe. He is very fond of making things which he doesn't want, and then giving them to people who have no use for them. "How are you, old chap?" he began. "I've just finished an uncommon pretty--" He stopped, paralyzed by a cry from Dolly-- "Archie, what in the world are you wearing?" I turned a startled gaze upon Archie. "It's just an old suit I routed out," said he apologetically. I looked at Dolly; her eyes were closed shut, and she gasped-- "My dear, dear boy, go and change it!" "I don't see why it's not--" "Go and change it, if you love me," besought Dolly. "Oh, all right." "You look hideous in it," she said, her eyes still shut. Archie, who is very docile, withdrew. A guilty silence reigned for some moments. Then Dolly opened her eyes. "It was the suit," she said, with a shudder. "Oh, how it all came back to me!" "I could wish," I observed, taking my hat, "that it would all come back to me." "I wonder if you mean that!" "As much as I ever did," said I earnestly. "And that is--? "Quite enough." "How tiresome you are!" she said, turning away with a smile.