Page:Jepson--Pollyooly.djvu/286

 "I haven't got any father and mother," said Pollyooly; and her face was aglow with hopes.

"Then will you come and dance with me?" said the Esmeralda.

"I must ask Mr. Ruffin. I'm his housekeeper. He's in; I'll go and ask him now," said Pollyooly.

The Esmeralda smiled a little mischievously.

"I'll come with you. You can introduce me; and I'll arrange it with him," she said confidently, as if she had never had reason to doubt her power of persuading men.

They went to the sitting-room door; Pollyooly knocked at it, opened it, ushered in the Esmeralda, followed her in, and said:

"Please, sir, this is the Esmeralda. And may I go on the stage?"

From the unruffled coolness with which the Honorable John Ruffin rose from his easy-chair and bowed to the Esmeralda, the sudden irruption of dazzling visions in scarlet and yellow might have been the commonest occurrence in his daily round.

He drew forward a chair for her, saying:

"I'm charmed to make your acquaintance. Like