THE DUKE WINS Pollyooly had been at Ricksborough Court rather more than a month when the Honourable John Ruffin arrived, uninvited and without notice, on the Friday evening.

He found the duke in the garden with the three children.
"The kicking has begun," he said to the duke briefly, by way of explanation.
The duke seemed taken aback by the suddenness of the news, but soon he recovered and showed himself in very good spirits.
That night after dinner, after Pollyooly and Ronald had been dismissed from dessert to bed, the Honourable John Ruffin said: "I got a letter from Caroline, pitching into me like one o'clock for being a party to a disgraceful plot to rob Marion of her name and birthright." "Where is it ?" said the duke quickly.
"I didn't bring it with me.

The home-truths about me on it were nothing to the home-truths about you.

It would sear your soul to read them," said the Honourable John Ruffin in a very grave voice.
"Would it ?" said the duke.
"It would.

But I thought I would come down, in case she made a descent and you wanted some one to stand by and stiffen you." "Do you know, I don't think I do," said the duke.