"To get work might take a long time," said the Honourable John Ruffin gravely.
"Yes, sir; it might," said Pollyooly no less gravely, for she knew well the difficulty of getting work in London.
"And do you propose to keep her till she finds work?" said the Honourable John Ruffin in the tone of one who finds it difficult to believe his ears.
"Oh, yes, sir. She wouldn't eat much," said Pollyooly in a tone of cheerful serenity.
"Out of the exiguous wages Mr. Gedge-Tomkins and I pay you?"
"Yes, sir. I can do it quite well," said Pollyooly confidently; and then she added hopefully: "And perhaps it wouldn't be for long."
"On the other hand it may be for years and it may be forever," said the Honourable John Ruffin in a despondent tone.
"Oh, no, sir: I'm sure it wouldn't be as long as that," said Pollyooly confidently.
The Honourable John Ruffin looked at her earnest, anxious pleading face for half a minute. Then he said:
"Let's get it quite exact: you want to saddle yourself with the maintenance of a little girl for weeks, or it may be months, or even years, just to save her from the chief of England's representative institutions?"