"But of course it's going to be a matter of weeks.
Caroline won't hear about it at once probably, for her friends won't
hear about it to let her know. Then it'll take her some time to get
over her satisfaction at having got her way, and to realise that Marion
is out in the cold."

"Then she'll come back like a knife," said the duke.

"Yes; but Pollyooly has got to keep the game going for a good six
weeks. Let's hear what she thinks about taking it on," said the
Honourable John Ruffin, and he rang the bell.

"Of course she'll take it on. Besides having her at the court, I shall
pay her a trifle," said the duke in a tone of complete assurance.

"You won't. You'll pay her at least five pounds a week," said the
Honourable John Ruffin in an equally assured tone. "But even so, she
may refuse to leave her little brother for so long."

CHAPTER XVIII

THE DUKE'S IDEA TAKES FORM

Pollyooly came quickly, but she came in some trepidation lest after all
the duke might be going to scold her. A glance at his face reassured
her: he was certainly not angry.

The Honourable John Ruffin said gravely:

"The duke wants you to do a piece of work for him, Pollyooly--a very
well-paid piece of work."

At the words "well-paid" the duke started in his chair with a look of
pain; but Pollyooly's deep blue eyes shone suddenly like bright stars,
and she smiled a heavenly smile. It was not that she was mercenary.
But it was the chief aim of her life to raise a wall of gold (it could
not be too thick or too high) between the Lump and the workhouse.

"Yes?" she said a little breathlessly.

"He wants you to go down to his house in the country and pretend to be
his little daughter, Lady Marion Ricksborough. You're exactly like
her, and if you pretend properly, no one will know you're not her. Do
you think you could do it?" said the Honourable John Ruffin briskly.

Pollyooly smiled again, and said confidently:

"Oh, yes. I'm sure I could."

"And the duke will pay you seven or eight pounds a week for six
weeks--so that it will mean thirty-five or forty pounds," said the
Honourable John Ruffin with the same business briskness.

Pollyooly smiled another heavenly smile, but the duke sprang to his
feet with harried air and cried fiercely:

"Oh, hang it all! Draw it mild, Ruffin! Seven or eight pounds a week
for a child like that! Oh, hang it! It's too stiff!"

"Not a bit of it!" said the Honourable John Ruffin with cold