ould not afford to do so; in the
second place he thought it very good for her to be busy most of the
day, and to feel that she was independent, earning her own living. He
did not even bid her give up her post of housekeeper to Mr.
Gedge-Tomkins. He was quite sure that a girl might have too little
work to do, but he was very doubtful whether she could have too much.

Then he was talking one afternoon to Pollyooly, who had just made his
tea and brought it to him; and she said:

"Who is Mr. Francis?"

"Mr. Francis who?" said the Honourable John Ruffin.

"I don't know," said Pollyooly, knitting her brow. "It was Mrs. Brown
who talked about him. I took the Lump to see her the day after we came
back from Pyechurch; and she said I was growing quite the lady."

"She would put it like that," said the Honourable John Ruffin sadly.

"And then she said that after all it wasn't to be wondered at, seeing
who Mr. Francis was. But when I asked her what she meant, she wouldn't
say any more."

The Honourable John Ruffin sat straighter up in his chair with a
somewhat startled air. But he said in an indifferent enough tone:

"Ah, she grew mysterious, did she?"

"Ever so mysterious," said Pollyooly.

"It's a habit of her class, I believe," said the Honourable John Ruffin
carelessly. "Probably she meant nothing at all."

Pollyooly went back to the Lump content; but the Honourable John Ruffin
kept his brow puckered by a thoughtful frown for some time after she
had gone. Then he shrugged his shoulders, and his face resumed its
wonted serenity.

Three afternoons later there was a knocking at the door of the
chambers; and Pollyooly opened it to find the Duke of Osterley standing
on the threshold. She was surprised, because she had no reason to
believe that the coldness which the Honourable John Ruffin had told her
subsisted between himself and the duke had been dissipated; but, like
the well-mannered child she was, she did not let her surprise be seen,
but bowed politely as she had seen ladies at Pyechurch bow, for since
she had been promoted to the position of the Honourable John Ruffin's
cousin she had abandoned the curtsey as out of keeping with that more
exalted station.

The duke gazed gloomily at her, for it was very present to his mind
that their earlier meetings had, for him, been barren of joy; then he
said gloomily:

"Ah, you _are_ here. Is Mr. Ruffin back from the Law Courts yet?"

"No, your Grace; but he