heroine through her youthful exploits. The opening portion introduces Pollyooly, a thirteen-year-old housekeeper to the Honourable John Ruffin, who is preparing to depart for Buda-Pesth on matters regarding his friend Esmeralda, a dancer. While serving breakfast, Pollyooly's loyalty and curiosity surface as she learns about Esmeralda's situation with a foreign nobleman. As Ruffin contemplates what to do with Pollyooly and her younger brother, known as the Lump, during his absence, he arranges for them to stay with Hilary Vance, an artist and friend. The discourse between Ruffin and Vance sets a tone of lighthearted complexities, coupled with the suggestion that Pollyooly may soon find herself embroiled in an array of amusing challenges that await her as the story unfolds. (This is an automatically generated summary.)