ow what the world's coming to! Children of your age!" he
cried.

"Oh, it'll be quite all right," said Pollyooly cheerfully. "I'm going
on the stage. I've been on it already--dancing with the Esmeralda--not
really dancing of course, but just filling in the picture (that's what
the Esmeralda called it) in 'Titania's Awakening'--"

"What? You were the child in 'Titania's Awakening'?" said the duke
heavily.

"Yes. But when I grow up I'm going on the stage again--in musical
comedy--so that it will be quite all right for Ronald to marry me. The
heirs of peers generally marry girls in musical comedy. Ronald says
they do; and Mr. Ruffin said that he was quite right."

The duke's eyes were larger than usual, and bulging out. He ground his
teeth and looked as if he could well have torn out some of his hair.

"I can't think why John Ruffin will talk such silly nonsense!" he
growled in a tone of the last exasperation.

"Oh, but it isn't, your Grace," said Pollyooly reproachfully. "Lots of
them have done it. Ronald sent me a list of them he made out with two
school-fellows. Only it's at the Temple. It'll be quite all right for
us to get married."

The duke gnashed his teeth for a change. But he regained some control
of himself and said with moderate calmness:

"Well, of course it's only children's nonsense. But you may as well
bear in mind that Ronald's going to marry Lady Marion."

"I don't think you'll get him to," said Pollyooly quickly but
dispassionately. "He says she's such a little duff--" Her natural
politeness stopped the word on her tongue. "They--they don't get on
well together."

"They'll have to!" said the duke stormily.

Pollyooly said nothing; but she did not look hopeful.

The duke waited for a word of encouragement. It did not come. He
crumpled up the telegram, threw it into the grate, and said:

"But the real question is: will Ronald keep the secret? Will he be
able to?"

"Oh, yes: he'll keep it quite easily," said Pollyooly confidently.
"He's splendid at keeping secrets."

The duke gazed at her gloomily and said gloomily:

"I can't conceive how on earth you and Ronald got to know one another
so well."

Pollyooly's eyes opened wider and grew uncommonly limpid. She said:

"Oh, I've been out to lunch with him and to the Varolium--from the
Temple."

"You have, have you?" said the duke bitterly. "I'm hanged if I know
what the world's coming to!"

Pollyooly said nothing.