With the aid of
Bell's guitar and Jack's banjo the girls and boys soon caught the
pretty air, and sung it in chorus.
1. Pretty Pol-ly Ol-i-ver, will you be my own?
Pret-ty Pol-ly Ol-i-ver, as cold as a
stone; But my love has grown warm-er as
cold-er you've grown, O Pret-ty Pol-ly
Ol-i-ver, will you be my own?
2. Pret-ty Pol-ly Ol-i-ver, I love you so dear!
Pret-ty Pol-ly Ol-i-ver, my hope and my
fear; I've wait-ed for you, sweet-heart, this
many a long year; For Pret-ty Pol-ly
Ol-i-ver, I've loved you so dear!
3. Pret-ty Pol-ly Ol-i-ver, I'll bid you good bye:
Pret-ty Pol-ly Ol-i-ver, for you I'll not
die; You'll nev-er get a tru-er true
lov-er than I, So Pret-ty Pol-ly
Ol-i-ver, good-bye, love, good-bye!
At the end, Dr. Winship raised his glass of lemonade, and proposed to
drink Miss Oliver's health. This was done with enthusiasm, and
Geoffrey immediately cried, 'Speech, speech!'
'I can't,' said Polly, blushing furiously.
'Speech!' sung Jack and Philip vociferously, pounding on the table
with knife-handles to increase the furore.
'Speech!' demanded the genial doctor, going over to the majority, and
smiling encouragingly at Polly, who was pushed to her feet before she
knew very well what she was doing. 'Oh, if Laura were not looking at
me,' she thought, 'I'd just like to speak right out, and tell them a
little bit of what is in my heart. I don't care--I will!'
'I know you are all in fun,' she said, looking bravely into the good
doctor's eyes, 'and of course no one could make a proper speech with
Jack grinning like a Cheshire cat, but I can't help telling you that
this is the happiest summer and the happiest birthday of my whole
life, and that I scarcely remember nowadays that I have no father and
no brothers and sisters, for I have never been alone or unhappy since
you took me in among you and Bell chose me for her friend; and I
think that if you knew how grateful I am for my beautiful summer,
dear Dr.
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