Page 498 - of-human-bondage-

smiled.
‘You ARE silly, you know I like you, or else I shouldn’t be
here, should I?’
They were old customers at the little restaurant in Soho
by now, and the patronne gave them a smile as they came in.
The waiter was obsequious.
‘Let me order the dinner tonight,’ said Mildred.
Philip, thinking her more enchanting than ever, gave her
the menu, and she chose her favourite dishes. The range was
small, and they had eaten many times all that the restaurant
could provide. Philip was gay. He looked into her eyes, and
he dwelt on every perfection of her pale cheek. When they
had finished Mildred by way of exception took a cigarette.
She smoked very seldom.
‘I don’t like to see a lady smoking,’ she said.
She hesitated a moment and then spoke.
‘Were you surprised, my asking you to take me out and
give me a bit of dinner tonight?’
‘I was delighted.’
‘I’ve got something to say to you, Philip.’
He looked at her quickly, his heart sank, but he had
trained himself well.
‘Well, fire away,’ he said, smiling.
‘You’re not going to be silly about it, are you? The fact is
I’m going to get married.’
‘Are you?’ said Philip.
He could think of nothing else to say. He had considered
the possibility often and had imagined to himself what he
would do and say. He had suffered agonies when he thought