And she married somebody else; and they're both dead; and his grace 'as adopted their little boy for old sake's sake." The first housemaid and the second housemaid accepted this theory warmly; and then Emily Gibbs said: "And I expect she had red hair." The basic facts of the affair having been thus comfortably settled, the talk turned on the identity of the lady, and then on the colour of her hair.

Rawlings was of the opinion that the redness of the Lump's hair was evidence that either his father or his mother had been a relation of the duke, since there was so much red hair in the Osterley family.
His suggestion met with general approval.
"It certainly makes his adopting him more natural-like," said the second housemaid.
Pollyooly was awake the next morning before any one else at the court; and soon after six she rose.

She dressed the Lump, gave him biscuits, ate some herself; and accompanied by all the loose dogs in the house, they went out into the gardens through one of the long windows of the blue drawing-room.

She led the Lump round to the stables and there unloosed several more dogs, so that they went about the world well attended, and spent two very pleasant hours before their exigent appetites demanded their return to breakfast.
The duke saw them returning from his dressing-room; and once more he was of the opinion that they improved the appearance of the gardens.
As it was Lady Marion's first day at the court after so many months, Miss Belthorp decided that it should be a holiday--a holiday for Pollyooly, that is; the Lump did not appear to be yet ripe to learn even the alphabet.
After breakfast therefore they went out again; and Miss Belthorp went with them.

This was of no advantage to them, for the excursion became a formal walk, much less attractive than their erratic wanderings when alone.