hotel for Polly as she had at first intended. So she cast her burden
into Polly's hands and piped out, "It's for you, Polly, a sweet little
yellow cheese; you said you wanted it," and stood smiling and
triumphant.

"Oh, my goodness me!" exclaimed Polly Pepper, standing quite still.
Then she did shock the natives, for she sat right down in the road,
with the cheese in her hands.




XIV

THE ISLAND OF MARKEN


When the boat was nearing the island of Marken, the little yellow
cheese had been presented with all due formality to one of the sailors
who had been specially kind in the matter of securing good seats for
Mr. King's party, Polly and Phronsie having held a whispered conference
in a retired nook, to come out of it bright and smiling.

"And now it has made two people happy, Phronsie," Polly had said, when
the presentation was well over, and she ended up with a kiss. "It made
me happy in the first place because you thought of me, and then, just
think, Pet, that poor sailor, how glad he will be to take it home."

"Will he, Polly?" asked Phronsie, in a rapture; "and do you think he
has got any little girls?"