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 John Ruffin clapped his hand to his head and cried in a tone of horror:

"Good heavens! I was forgetting! My bacon!"

"Your what?" said the startled duchess.

"My bacon. Pollyooly is the one person in England—in the world—who can grill bacon properly. I am losing her for a fortnight—a whole fortnight—fourteen breakfasts." "There are other things besides bacon," said the duchess somewhat coldly.

"There are no other things besides bacon—not for breakfast," said the Honorable John Ruffin bitterly, but with intense conviction. Then by a violent effort he pulled himself together and said with an air of manly fortitude: "But no matter; I am a martyr—a martyr in the cause of justice. Oh, that a barrister should prove so faithless to the Law!"

The duchess smiled indulgently and said, "I'm ever so much obliged to you. I am really. Well, I think that's all that we can do now. Wasn't it lucky I came to see how you were getting on?"

"Oh, it was! Fourteen breakfasts!" said the Honorable John Ruffin bitterly.