Happy Pollyooly: The Rich Little Poor Girl

a-Pesth, the Honourable John Ruffin told her of the arrangement he had made with Hilary Va

hing of the joy which warriors feel in foemen wo

always wanted to know what that studio would look like if once it were proper

you'd get the place really clean for him," s

ill," said Po

hn Ruffin chuckle

o have the spring cle

quite summer-time

Chelsea in a taxicab. Hilary Vance welcomed them with the most cordial exuberance, led the way to his spare bedroom, and with an entire unc

host in some discomfort. She was a well-mannered child, and care

o-to-dust out the room b

said Hilary Vance cheerfully;

it with furious vigour, and even more vigourously still banged it against the end of the bedstead. When she had finished with it the counterpane was hardly white, but the room was dustier than ever. She covered up the bed again, took down the pictures and again made the room dustier. Then she swept the ceiling and the walls. After doing so she shook the counterpane again. And the room was still dusty; but the dust was nearly all on

she wore a very cheerful air. Also she displayed an excellent appetite. In the m

s place cl

aid Hilary Vance in a t

you call clean," sai

edroom into the kitchen and washed them and dried them in the sun. The

ggle with the teaspoons. They enjoyed, after the lapse of months, the experience of shining. After tea Hilary Vance told her regretfully that he would not be able to come home to supper,

f battle in her eye. Then she took the canvases, which were set against the wall three and four deep, into the street and

it. When it was done she gave the Lump his supper and put him to bed. After supper she dealt faithfully with the windows. The skylight gave her trouble; it was so high. But she tied a wet cloth round the top of a broom, and by standing on the table reached it. It made her arms ache, but slowly the p

t is only fair to say that she gave the studio the cleaning it general

n splendid spirits. He also did not observe that anything had happened to the s

st he

sight was beginning to weaken. But this morning I can

ide, too, you'd see clearer still," said Pollyooly i

ed round the stud

l the same you're my guest here; and it's not the function of a guest to clean he

it. I did, really

rick-a splendid brick,"

his mentor, James, the novelist (not Henry), was in Scotland; and the salt sea flowed between him and the Honourable John Ruffin. Pollyooly was at hand, and she was

It is to be feared that she did not really appreciate the splendour of the passion he displayed before her; it is even to be feared that she regarded it as no more than a further eccentricity in an eccentric nature. She grew curious, however, to s

t seemed to Pollyooly that she gave herself airs. She came away with the flowers, finding the ecstasies of Mr. Hilary Vance as

the darkest kind of cloud. Pollyooly, by dint of hearing so much about it, began to get some understanding of the matter, and consequently to take a greater interest in it. Always she made an excellent listener. Her intercourse

eaven, talking joyfully of an early proposal and an immediate marriage; another he was well down in the seven

ont door. She opened it, and to her surprise found Flossie standing without. She was at once stricken with admiration of Flossie's hat, which was ver

?" she said some

hurrying, and the hat

some disfavour, and said

soon?" said Flo

said Pollyooly

n the street with a help

te for him and leave it." And she walke

and pencil for her; and she sat down and began to write. Sh

e said in a tone and with an air in which gratified vanit

emen?" said

can't believe a word I say. It isn't that he doesn't try; but he can't. He says he can't. He's got a passionate nature; he says he has. And he can't do anything with it. It runs away with him; he says it does. And now it's Mr. Vance. How he found out

ook properly di

y the flood of information suddenly

's he goi

e street as me in Hammersmith; and he got to know about him-not that there was anything to know, mind you-but he thought there was. And he blacked his eyes and made his nose bleed. You

y big," said Pollyool

not a boxer. And he knows that Mr. Vance isn't a boxer, because I asked him about boxing-knowing Reginald put it into my head-and he told me he didn't know a thing about it. And he'd have no chance a

Mr. Vance at all for, if you knew he'd make a

d Flossie, in a tone which carried no conviction; and s

ain in the same high-

time in anything. And he's going to take an afternoon off and come round and knock the stuffing out of Mr. Vance this very day. He can

ed it, saying with the air whi

at am I to do? There's no way of stopping them. You'll know what it is

rose, gave Pollyooly the note, and adjured her to

tterwick get here?" sa

"But he'll get here as soon as the firm can sp

ance the note as soon as he returned, and hu