The Real Charlotte. 35 



helpless hands, and by the time she had got on to the high 

 road, had given her rider to understand that her position was 

 that of tenant at will. 



They turned their backs on the town, and rode along the 

 dazzling, dusty road, that radiated all the heat of a blazing 

 afternoon. 



" I think he did you pretty well with that habit," re- 

 marked Lambert presently. "What's the damage to be? " 



" What do you think ? " replied Francie gaily, answering 

 one question with another after the manner of her country. 



"Ten?" 



" Ah, go on ! Where'd I get ten pounds ? He said he'd 

 only charge me six because you recommended me, but I 

 can tell him he'll have to wait for his money." 



" Why, are you hard up again ? " 



Francie looked up at him and laughed with unconcern 

 that was not in the least affected. 



" Of course I am ! Did you ever know me that I 

 wasn't ? " 



Lambert was silent for a moment or two, and half uncon- 

 sciously his thoughts ran back over the time, six years ago 

 now, when he had first met Francie. There had always 

 been something exasperating to him in her brilliant in- 

 difference to the serious things of life. Her high spirits, 

 were as impenetrable as a coat of mail ; her ignorance of the 

 world was at once sublime and enraging. She had not 

 seemed in the least impressed by the fact that he, whom up 

 to this time she had known as merely a visitor at her uncle's 

 house, a feature of the Lawn-Tennis tournament week, and 

 a person with whom to promenade Merrion Square while 

 the band was playing, was in reality a country gentleman, a 

 J.P., and a man of standing, who owned as good horses as 

 anyone in the county. She even seemed as impervious as 

 ever to the pathos of his position in having thrown him- 

 self and his good looks away upon a plain woman six or 

 seven years older than himself. All these things passed 

 quickly through his mind, as if they found an accustomed 

 groove there, and mingled acidly with the disturbing sub- 

 consciousness that the mare would inevitably come home 

 with a sore back if her rider did not sit straignter than she 

 was doing at present. 



