The Doctor’s portmanteau was quickly packed, and in what seemed a moment of time after the receipt of the letter he had kissed his family and bidden them good-by. Then her four younger sisters and the boys came round Polly with a daring suggestion.
“Let’s sit up late, to-night, and have a real, jolly supper,” they begged. “Let’s have it at nine o’clock, up in the large garret over the front of the house; let it be a big supper, all kinds of good things; ginger-beer and the rest, and let’s invite some people to come and eat it with us. Do Poll—do Poll, darling.”
“But,” said Polly—she was dazzled by this glorious prospect—“I haven’t got a great deal of money,” she said, “and Nurse will be very angry, and Helen won’t like it. For you know, children, you two boys and Firefly, you are never allowed to sit up as late as nine o’clock.”
“But for once, Poll Parrot,” exclaimed the three victims; “just for once. We are sure father would not care, and we can coax Nell to consent; and Nurse, as to Nurse, she thinks of no one but baby; we won’t choose the garret over baby. Do, do, do say ‘yes,’ darling Poll.”
“The dearest cook in all the world!” exclaimed Bunny, tossing his cap in the air.
“The queen of cake-makers,” said Bob, turning head over heels.
“The darlingest princess of all housekeepers,” echoed Firefly, leaping on her sister, and half-strangling her with a fierce embrace.
“And we’ll all subscribe,” said the twins.
“And it will really be delightfully romantic; something to remember when you aren’t housekeeper,” concluded Katie.
“I’d like it awfully,” said Polly, “I don’t pretend that I wouldn’t, and I’ve just found such a recipe for whipped cream. Do you know, girls, I shouldn’t be a bit surprised—I really shouldn’t—if I turned out some meringues made all by myself for supper. The only drawback is the money, for Mrs. White does charge a lot for cream, and I don’t mind owning to you all, now that you are nice and sympathetic, that the reason you had only potatoes for dinner on Monday was because Maggie and I met with a misfortune; it was a money trouble,” continued Polly, with an important air, “and of course children like you cannot understand what money troubles mean. They are wearing, very, and Maggie says she thinks I’m beginning to show some crow’s feet around my eyes on account of them. But never mind, I’m not going to cast the shadows of money troubles on you all, and this thing is not to be spoken of, only it makes me very short now.”