Polly the Pagan: Her Lost Love Letters

In Short

Told through letters, journal entries, and telegrams, Polly the Pagan: Her Lost Love Letters traces the international adventures of Polly, a spirited young American woman traveling across Mediterranean ports, Rome, and London. Guided by her title-seeking aunt, Polly navigates the romantic advances of European suitors, including an intriguing Russian prince and an Italian captain, while maintaining a secret, deep affection for an American diplomat known as "A. D." The novel endures as an entertaining snapshot of pre-war Gilded Age expatriate life, transatlantic romance, and the clash between American independence and European traditions.

The Story

The narrative opens on the Mediterranean steamship Cleopatra, where twenty-year-old Polly begins a diary recording her grand tour through Europe and Egypt. Accompanied by her ambitious aunt, who is determined to marry her off to a European aristocrat, Polly quickly draws the attention of Prince Boris, a charming yet enigmatic Russian. A series of playful, late-night misadventures aboard the ship—including Polly wandering into the Prince's stateroom by mistake—initiates a flirtatious correspondence between them.

Arriving in Rome, Polly plunges into a whirlwind of grand dinners, masked balls, and excursions. She finds herself courted by a colorful array of suitors: the hot-tempered Spanish Marquis Gonzaga, the impoverished Italian officer Captain Carlo, and the relentless Prince Boris. However, her true affection belongs to "A. D.," a clever and grounded American diplomat stationed in Rome. Though Polly and A. D. share a deep bond and romantic outings across Florence and Venice, their connection remains shadowed by secret understandings, minor jealousy, and Polly’s habit of flirting to test his devotion.

Polly’s travels continue through Baden-Baden, London, and back across the Atlantic. Along the way, A. D. proposes, sending Polly a diamond engagement ring that she joyfully accepts during a Christmas stay at Black Horse Farm. Despite their engagement, the couple keeps the news private from Polly’s aunt, who continues to press for a titled match. Prince Boris refuses to withdraw his suit, following Polly to America and joining her social circle on trips to Kentucky and the northern woods.

During a wilderness camping expedition, the Prince's aggressive behavior and unusual secretive movements raise red flags. The climax arrives aboard a train when custom officials search for a man named "Kosloff"—a name Polly recognizes from Boris’s private papers. Realizing the Prince is an impostor and likely a foreign agent, Polly breaks off all contact with him. A. D. returns to the United States to prepare for their upcoming wedding in New York. A framing postscript written years later during the First World War reveals that A. D. was subsequently imprisoned in Soviet Russia, where Boris—now revealed as a Bolshevik operative—continues to cross their paths.

How It Unfolds

A Mediterranean meeting While traveling back from Egypt on the steamship Cleopatra, Polly accidentally stumbles into the cabin of Prince Boris. The charming, mysterious Russian begins sending her broken-English love notes, launching a cross-continental game of flirtation.

High society in Rome In Rome, Polly is pursued by multiple European suitors, including the fiery Marquis Gonzaga and Captain Carlo. Amid lavish dinners and masked carnival balls, her connection deepens with A. D., an American diplomat who courts her with steady devotion.

Florentine and Venetian summer Polly and A. D. share romantic excursions through the gardens of Florence and the canals of Venice. Their letters reveal growing intimacy, even as Polly continues to teasingly weigh the prospects of a European title against American companionship.

An engagement at Christmas After returning to America for the holidays, Polly receives a diamond engagement ring from A. D. in her Christmas stocking. The couple keeps their betrothal secret from Polly's aunt, who still hopes for a noble match.

The intruder in Kentucky Prince Boris follows Polly to North America, trailing her to the Kentucky Derby and joining her family's wilderness camping trip. His persistent unwanted advances and suspicious behavior push Polly to her limit.

Unmasking the Prince A government inspection on a train reveals that Prince Boris is using the alias Kosloff and is under official surveillance. Recognizing him as a fraudulent imposter, Polly cuts ties with him and prepares for her New York wedding to A. D.

The People

• Polly ("Polly the Pagan"): A lively, independent twenty-year-old American woman traveling in Europe. She craves freedom and lighthearted romance, but behind her flirtatious exterior lies a practical sense of self-worth that leads her to reject titled suitors for genuine love.
• A. D.: A thoughtful, patient American diplomat stationed in Rome. He loves Polly deeply, supporting her independence while consistently offering her stability, warmth, and a shared cultural bond.
• Prince Boris: A mysterious blonde Russian aristocrat who relentlessly pursues Polly across two continents. He projects cosmopolitan charm, but his deceitful actions and suspicious political ties eventually reveal him to be an impostor.
• Aunt: Polly’s chaperone and guardian on her European tour. Driven by social ambition, she constantly encourages Polly to marry a European title, favoring Prince Boris and Marquis Gonzaga over American suitors.
• Captain Carlo: An Italian officer with British ancestry who courts Polly in Rome, whose vanity and complicated personal affairs add drama to Polly’s social circle.

In Its Own Voice

"She vanished through the fingers like a card in the hands of a magician."

An opening quote sets the elusive, unpredictable tone of Polly’s flirtatious character as she travels across Europe.

"I love novels, but there is no wonderful novel which I so much should like to read as the closed book which is your soul."

Prince Boris writes to Polly in a romantic attempt to penetrate her lighthearted defenses and understand her true feelings.

"A. D., I love you madly--yes, I do, you can't know, you never will know how much."

Polly confesses her genuine devotion to A. D. in a private letter sent after receiving her engagement ring.

What It's Really About

The novel explores the clash between American democratic independence and European aristocratic tradition. Beneath its lighthearted romance lies an interrogation of transatlantic marriage, a trend in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries where wealthy American heiresses traded fortunes for European titles. Through Polly's choice, the narrative argues that genuine happiness rests on mutual respect and shared values rather than social prestige. It contrasts the sincerity and straightforwardness of American romance with the secretive, performative nature of European high society. Additionally, the book touches on themes of female agency, showing a young woman asserting her right to choose her own path despite societal pressures.

Why Read It Today

Polly the Pagan: Her Lost Love Letters offers a delightful, fast-paced dive into the early twentieth-century travelogue romance. Readers who enjoy epistolary fiction, historical travel, and classic transatlantic themes will appreciate its lively tempo and candid charm. The narrative captures the atmosphere of Gilded Age leisure, transporting readers through moonlit Roman ruins, Venetian canals, and Kentucky racecourses.

The book moves briskly through letters, diary entries, and telegrams, creating an immediate, conversational tone. While modern readers may find the aunt's obsession with nobility quaint and Prince Boris's phonetically written English dated, these elements accurately reflect the period's cultural attitudes and literary tropes. What lingers after reading is Polly's vibrant voice—an endearing portrait of an energetic young woman determined to enjoy the world on her own terms before giving her heart away.