good one. It's called the Bellingham Home. I had an idea that
there was one in the family; and I find that my cousin and your
acquaintance, the Duke of Osterley, is the president of it; and of
course he can get an orphan into it in a brace of shakes. He only has
to nominate her."

"Oh, that is nice, sir!" cried Pollyooly; and her eyes sparkled.

"Wait a bit," said the Honourable John Ruffin gloomily. "Unfortunately
at the moment there is a coldness between me and the duke; and we may
not warm to one another for months--not, in fact, till he wants me to
do something for him. In these circumstances if I were to present an
orphan to his attention he would be much more likely to wring her neck
than nominate her."

"That is a pity, sir," said Pollyooly, and her face fell.

"Of course there are ladies of my acquaintance who dabble in charity;
but they're not in the position of the duke. It would take them weeks
to get Millicent into the Bellingham Home, while, if he nominated her,
she would be dragged into it at full speed. She wouldn't be given time
to breathe."

Pollyooly frowned in earnest consideration of the matter; then she said:

"Couldn't you ask a lady to ask him, sir?"

"It would be difficult to persuade one," said the Honourable John
Ruffin doubtfully. "You see, the duke has the reputation of being
unamiable; and he has earned it well. My friends are only dabblers in
charity; and I don't think they're keen enough on it to risk getting
snubbed by him."

Pollyooly's thoughtful frown deepened as she cudgelled her small, but
active, brain for a solution of this problem. Then she said:

"Perhaps if I was to go and ask him, he'd do it, sir."

"You?" said the Honourable John Ruffin very doubtfully. "I don't think
that would do at all. You see there was that business of his
kidnapping you in Piccadilly and carrying you off to Ricksborough
House. He's not at all the kind of man to forget that he played the
fool and had to pay you six pounds for doing it."

"But, please, sir, that wasn't my fault," said Pollyooly.

"No: it was his. That's why he's sure to be disliking you very much
for it."

Pollyooly looked puzzled by this view of the working of the ducal mind.

"No: it wouldn't be any use at all," said the Honourable John Ruffin
decisively.

For the while Pollyooly accepted his decision. But she accepted it
with deep reluctance, for she was nearly as disappointed as Millicent
by this dash