Happy Pollyooly | Page 3

Vance; but it seemed to him that
to-day he was boiling with an added exuberance; and that curiosity was
aroused. He took up a chair and hammered its back on the floor so that
the dust fell off the seat, sat down astride it, and, bending forward a
little, proceeded to observe the artist with very keen eyes. Hilary Vance,
who was very busy, fell to work again, and after his manner, grew

grandiloquent about the pleasures of the day before, which he had spent
in the country.
Soon it grew clear to the Honourable John Ruffin that his friend had
swollen with the insolent happiness so hateful to the Fates, and he said:
"You seem to be uncommonly cheerful, Vance. What's the matter?"
Hilary Vance looked at him gravely, drew himself upright in his chair,
laid down his pencil, and said in a tone of solemnity calculated to
awaken the deepest respect and awe:
"Ruffin, I have found a woman--a WOMAN!"
The quality of the Honourable John Ruffin's gaze changed; his eyes
rested on the face of his friend with a caressing, almost cherishing,
delight.
"Isn't it becoming rather a habit?" he said blandly.
"I don't know what you mean," said Hilary Vance with splendid dignity.
"But this is different. This is a WOMAN!"
His face filled with an expression of the finest beatitude.
"They so often are," said the Honourable John Ruffin. "Does James
know about her?"
At the sound of the name of the mentor and friend who had rescued
him from so many difficulties, something of guilt mingled with the
beatitude on Hilary Vance's face, and he said in a less assured tone:
"James is in Scotland."
The Honourable John Ruffin sprang from his chair with a briskness
which made Hilary Vance himself jump, and cried in a tone of the
liveliest commiseration and dismay:
"Good Heavens! Then you're lost--lost!"

"What do you mean?" said Hilary Vance quite sharply.
"I mean that your case is hopeless," said the Honourable John Ruffin in
a less excited tone. "James is in Scotland; I'm off to Buda-Pesth; and
you have found a WOMAN--probably THE WOMAN."
"I don't know what you mean," said Hilary Vance, frowning.
"That's the worst of it! That's why it's so hopeless!" said the
Honourable John Ruffin in a tone of deep depression.
"What do you mean?" cried Hilary Vance in sudden bellow.
"Good-bye, old chap; good-bye," said the Honourable John Ruffin in
the most mournful tone and with the most mournful air. "I can not save
you. I've got to go to Buda-Pesth." He walked half-way to the door,
turned sharply on his heel, clapped his hand to his head with the most
dramatic gesture, and cried: "Stay! I'll wire to James!"
"I'm damned if you do!" bellowed Hilary Vance.
"I must! I must!" cried the Honourable John Ruffin, still dramatic.
"You don't know his address, thank goodness!" growled Hilary Vance
triumphantly. "And you won't get it from me."
"I shan't? Then it's hopeless indeed," said the Honourable John Ruffin
with a gesture of despair. He stood and seemed to plunge into deep
reflection, while Hilary Vance scowled an immense scowl at him.
The Honourable John Ruffin allowed a faint air of hope to lighten his
gloom; then he said:
"There's a chance--there's yet a chance!"
"I don't want any chance!" cried Hilary Vance stormily. "You can jolly
well mind your own business and leave me alone. I can look after
myself without any help from you--or James either."

"Whom the gods wish to destroy they first madden young," said the
Honourable John Ruffin sadly. "But there's always Pollyooly; she may
save you yet. I came to suggest that while I'm away in Buda-Pesth you
should let Pollyooly and the Lump occupy that spare bedroom of yours.
I don't like leaving them alone in the Temple; and I thought that you
might like to have them here for a while, though I fear Pollyooly will
clean the place." He looked round the studio gloomily. "But you can
stand that for once, I expect," he went on more cheerfully. "At any rate
it would be worth your while, because you'd learn what grilled bacon
really is."
At the mention of the name of Pollyooly the scowl on Hilary Vance's
face began to smooth out; as the Honourable John Ruffin developed his
suggestion it slowly disappeared.
"Oh, yes; I'll put them up. I shall be delighted to," he said eagerly.
"Pollyooly gives more delight to my eye than any one I know. And
there are so few people in town, and I'm lonely at times. I wish I liked
bacon, since she is so good at grilling it; but I don't."
The Honourable John Ruffin came several steps down the room
wearing an air of the wildest amazement:
"You don't