The Real Charlotte. 1 5 



seemed specially addressed, merely took his cigarette out of 

 his mouth, and said, with a familiar laugh : 



"Practical politics, by Jove ! I call it a cold water cure. 

 Kill or cure like the rest of your doctoring, eh ! Char 

 lotte?" 



Miss Mullen joined with entire good-humour in the laugh 

 that followed. 



" Oh, th' ingratitude of man ! " she exclaimed. " Arch- 

 deacon, you've seen his bald scalp from the pulpit, and I 

 ask yoLi, now, isn't that a fresh crop he has on it ? I leave 

 it to his conscience, if he has one, to say if it wasn't 

 my doctoring gave him that fine black thatch he has 

 now ! " 



The archdeacon fixed his eyes seriously upon her ; Char- 

 lotte's playfulness always alarmed and confused him. 



"Do not appeal to me. Miss Mullen," he answered, in 

 his refined, desponding voice ; " my unfortunate sight 

 makes my evidence in such a matter worth nothing ; and, 

 by the way, I meant to ask you if your niece would be good 

 enough to help us in the choir? I understand she sings." 



Charlotte interrupted him. 



" There's another of you at it ! " she exclaimed. ** I 

 think ril have to adwrtiss in the Irish Ti?nes that, whereas 

 my first cousin, Isabella Mullen, married Johnny Fitz- 

 patrick, who was no relation of mine, good, bad, or indiffer- 

 ent, their child is my first cousin once removed, and not 

 my niece ! " 



Mr. Lambert blew a cloud of smoke through his nose. 



"You're a nailer at pedigrees, Charlotte," he said with 

 a patronage that he knew was provoking ; " but as far as 

 I can make out the position, it comes to mighty near the 

 same thing ; you're what they call her Welsh aunt, any- 

 how," 



Charlotte's face reddened, and she opened her wide 

 mouth for a retort, but before she had time for miore than 

 the champings as of a horse with a heavy bit, which pre- 

 ceded her more incisive repartees, another person joined 

 the group. 



" Mr. Lambert," said Pamela Dysart, in her pleasant, 

 anxious voice, " I am going to ask you if you will play in 

 the next set, or if you would rather help the Miss Beatties, 



