of the duke, since there was so much red hair in the Osterley family.
His suggestion met with general approval.

"It certainly makes his adopting him more natural-like," said the
second housemaid.

Pollyooly was awake the next morning before any one else at the court;
and soon after six she rose. She dressed the Lump, gave him biscuits,
ate some herself; and accompanied by all the loose dogs in the house,
they went out into the gardens through one of the long windows of the
blue drawing-room. She led the Lump round to the stables and there
unloosed several more dogs, so that they went about the world well
attended, and spent two very pleasant hours before their exigent
appetites demanded their return to breakfast.

The duke saw them returning from his dressing-room; and once more he
was of the opinion that they improved the appearance of the gardens.

As it was Lady Marion's first day at the court after so many months,
Miss Belthorp decided that it should be a holiday--a holiday for
Pollyooly, that is; the Lump did not appear to be yet ripe to learn
even the alphabet.

After breakfast therefore they went out again; and Miss Belthorp went
with them. This was of no advantage to them, for the excursion became
a formal walk, much less attractive than their erratic wanderings when
alone. Also it was a walk along paths; there were no incursions into
the heart of the woods they went through, nor did they go in a single
meadow and roll in the grass with the dogs. Also, since the hour was
undeniably shining, she thought it well to improve it by imparting a
little instruction in botany. Pollyooly found it quite uninteresting;
she did not care at all whether a flower had four stems or fourteen.
Stamens seemed to her childish mind quite unimportant; the colour and
fragrance of the flower seemed to her the only important things.

As they came into the court Miss Belthorp chanced to say:

"I do hope that you haven't been neglecting your piano, Marion. I
always think that music is so important in the formation of character."

Pollyooly had not been neglecting her piano, because she had no piano
to neglect. The piano played no part in any of the seven standards she
had passed at Muttle Deeping school; and she did not know one note from
another. She was taken aback by the suggestion that she was expected
to show herself accomplished in music. Evidently she must consult the
duke.

She and the Lump and Miss Belthorp l