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 couldn't your friend, Mrs. Brown, take charge of him?"

"I'll pay her a pound a week," said the duchess.

"Oh, for a pound a week she'd look after him ever so well," said Pollyooly in a tone of relief.

"And I'll keep an eye on him, too," said the Honorable John Ruffin. "Mrs. Brown can bring him round every morning at breakfast time to be inspected."

"Thank you, sir," said Pollyooly gratefully.

"Then that settles that. You arrange it with Mrs. Brown. Mind you only tell her that you're going into the country. You mustn't tell her why. You mustn't tell anybody why," said the duchess.

"No, ma'am," said Pollyooly.

"And you mustn't mind if they make a fuss at Ricksborough Court when you tell them who you are. They'll only scold. They won't do anything serious," said the duchess.

"Why should she tell them? She has only to slip away from Ricksborough, and they'll start hunting for Marion from the time and place at which Pollyooly disappears," said the Honorable John Ruffin.