no interest in the matter. But when the
lawyer, with a fatherly solicitude of his own, suggested that it would
be safer if he took care of her money for her, she rejected the
proposal with an uncommon, haughty curtness. He seemed somewhat hurt,
but he did not press the matter. The detective addressed him as Mr.
Wilkinson.

Pollyooly was not pleased to leave the pleasant and comfortable house
of the duchess and its so noble breakfasts and teas, though it was some
consolation that she was moving from it to an hotel where, in her
ignorance of provincial England, she supposed that she would fare
luxuriously. She was much less pleased to exchange the society of the
lively Eglantine, so full of interesting confidences, for that of the
ponderous and doubtless uncommunicative Mr. Wilkinson.

He was fully alive to his importance as being in charge of the daughter
of a duke, and did not dream for a moment of putting her into the care
of the detective. Indeed, in spite of his greater experience in taking
charge of people, that worthy fellow was far too sleepy to be trusted
with so elusive a child.

Mr. Wilkinson was far more affable and urbane with her than any one
whom Pollyooly had ever met. He was careful to ask her whether she
disliked the smell of tobacco smoke before taking her into the
smoking-room, where he made a light meal on whiskey and soda and
biscuits. He invited her to share his biscuits; but the noble tea was
so recent that she was forced to decline.

As soon as he had finished it he accepted, with the readiest urbanity,
her suggestion that they should go out on the sea-front. It was
exceedingly gratifying to him to be seen walking hand in hand with the
daughter of a duke. But his hand was hot and moist, and at the end of
fifty yards of it Pollyooly withdrew hers from it with considerable
decision.

"I'm not going to run away--to-day," she said firmly, putting it behind
her back.

Mr. Wilkinson protested feebly; but since there seemed no likelihood of
his recovering the hand, in the end he accepted the situation, saying
pompously:

"I accept your ladyship's assurance that you will not try to escape."

"Not to-day," said Pollyooly haughtily; and she looked at him darkly.

"Oh, to-morrow you will be with his grace, and my responsibility ends,"
said Mr. Wilkinson in a tone of some satisfaction.

Pollyooly did not think that she would be with his grace on the morrow;
but she did not say so.

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