Happy Pollyooly: The Rich Little Poor GirlJepson, Edgar
General
Happy Pollyooly: The Rich Little Poor Girl
Jepson, Edgar
England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Girls -- Fiction
"No: she would nod goom," said the grand duke. The baron had an
inspiration; he said in a stern voice:
"Ze day, 'ighness; ze day will goom soon. Zen you will gommand only;
and Bollyooly will obey."
"Ach, yes: ze day," said the grand duke, watching the playing children.
"It will goom soon doubtlez. Bud Bollyooly, will she obey? Zeze
English blay zere creeket very 'ard."
"She would be made obey," said the baron firmly.
The grand duke changed the subject by raising his voice in a splendid,
heartening roar at Pollyooly, who was running swiftly around the bases;
and for nearly an hour he did his best to burst the welkin. Then he
summoned the perspiring prince, shouted and waved good-bye to
Pollyooly, and walked to his son's lodgings to take a little
unnecessary nourishment before driving to the station.
Pollyooly went on playing till a quarter of five, when the game broke
up to let the players go to their tea. She collected the Lump from the
Gibson nurse and the eleven sovereigns from Mrs. Gibson, and started
down the beach tea-wards. As she went down the beach several earnest
enquirers stopped her to ask what the grand duke had said to her and
what she had said to the grand duke. They wore the air of being very
deeply impressed by the occurrence.
Pollyooly gratified their curiosity. Four of them said that they would
have been so confused by being suddenly hurried into the presence of
royalty that, not knowing whether they were standing on their heads or
their heels, they would not have found a word to say.
Pollyooly said quite truly that she had not suffered from any such
confusion. She did not add, as with no less truthfulness she might
have done, that what had induced a slight access of confusion in her
had been the sudden and unexpected possession of eleven golden
sovereigns. But she had a feeling, somewhat obscure, that such a
happening should not confuse a red Deeping; therefore she did not say
anything about it.
She and the Lump were still at tea when the Honourable John Ruffin
returned from his golf and joined them. She told him of the coming of
the grand duke, of his thanks for the improvement in Prince Adalbert's
health, and of the eleven splendid golden sovereigns.
"And very nice too. I congratulate you," said the Honourable John
Ruffin cheerfully.
"Thank you," said Pollyooly.
"I always have heard that the grand duke is a very decent sort, as well
as being astute; and this proves it," he said.
"But it does seem such a lot for the little I've done. I could have
done a lot more, if I'd known," said Pollyooly in a tone of discomfort.
"Not a bit of it," said the Honourable John Ruffin in a confident tone.
"As what you've done goes, eleven golden sovereigns isn't a penny too
much for it. I haven't observed the treatment; but I have no doubt
that you're making another boy of Prince Adalbert."
"Well, he does look better and he does get about quicker than he did,"
said Pollyooly slowly, weighing her words.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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