30 The Real Charlotte. 



" Oh, all right," said Lambert graciously ; " if you'd rather 

 have it that way, we'll send a note over to Charlotte." 



" Would you mind — " said Mrs. Lambert hesitatingly, 

 " I mean, don't you think it would be better if — supposing 

 you wrote the note ? She always minds what you say, and, 

 I declare, I don't know how in the world I'd make up the 

 excuse, when she'd settled the whole thing, and even got 

 me to leave word with the sweep to do her drawing-room 

 chimney that's thick with jackdaws' nests, because the 

 family'd be from home all the afternoon." 



" Why, what was to happen to Francie ? " asked Lambert 

 quickly. 



" I think Charlotte said she was to come with us," yawned 

 Mrs. Lambert, whose memory for conversation was as feeble 

 as the part she played in it ; *^ they had some talk about it, 

 at all events. I wouldn't be sure but Francie Fitzpatrick 

 said first she'd go for a walk to see the town — yes, so she 

 did, and Charlotte told her what she was going for was to 

 try and see the officers, and Francie said maybe it was, or 

 maybe she'd come and have afternoon tea with you. They 

 had great joking about it, but I'm sure, after all, it was 

 settled she was to come with us. Indeed," continued Mrs. 

 Lambert meditatively, " I think Charlotte's quite right not 

 to have her going through the town that way by herself; for, 

 I declare, Roderick, that's a lovely girl." 



" Oh, she's well able to take care of herself," said Lambert, 

 with the gruff deprecation that is with some people the 

 method of showing pleasure at a compliment. " She's not 

 such a fool as she looks, I can tell you," he went on, feeling 

 suddenly quite companionable; "the Fitzpatricks didn't 

 take such wonderful care of her that Charlotte need be 

 bothering herself to put her in cotton wool at this time of 

 day." 



Mrs. Lambert crocheted on in silence for a few moments, 

 inwardly counting her stitches till she came to the end of 

 the row, then she withdrew the needle and scratched her 

 head ruminatingly with it. 



" Isn't it a strange thing, Roderick, what makes Charlotte 

 have anyone staying in the house with her? I never re- 

 member such a thing to happen before." 



" She has to have her, and no thanks to her. Old Fitz- 



