to The Real Charlotte, 



point that they made. The big living old woman took the 

 hand of the other old woman who was so nearly dead, and 

 pressed her lips to it. 



" Ma'am, d'ye know me ? '* 



Her mistress opened her eyes. 



" Norry," she whispered, " give Miss Francie some jam 

 for her tea to-night, but don't tell Miss Charlotte." 



'* What's that she's saying ? " said Charlotte, going to the 

 other side of the bed. " Is she asking for me ? " 



*' No, but for Miss Francie," Norry answered. 



"She knows as well as I do that Miss Francie's in Dublin," 

 said Charlotte roughly ; " 'twas Susan she was asking for 

 last. Here, a'nt, here's Susan for you." 



She pulled the cat down from her shoulder, and put him 

 on the bed, where he crouched with a twitching tail, pre- 

 pared for flight at a moment's notice. 



He was within reach of the old lady's hand, but she did 

 not seem to know that he was there. She opened her eyes 

 and looked vacantly round. 



" Where's little Francie ? You mustn't send her away, 

 Charlotte ; you promised you'd take care of her ; didn't you, 

 Charlotte ? " 



"Yes, yes," said Charlotte quickly, pushing the cat towards 

 the old lady ; " never fear, I'll see after her." 



Old Mrs. Mullen's eyes, that had rested with a filmy stare 

 on her niece's face, closed again, and her head began to 

 move a little from one side to the other, a low monotonous 

 moan coming from her hps with each turn. Charlotte took 

 her right hand and laid it on the cat's brindled back. It 

 rested there, unconscious, for some seconds, while the two 

 women looked on in silence, and then the fingers drooped 

 and contracted like a bird's claw, and the moaning ceased. 

 There was at the same time a spasmodic movement of the 

 gathered-up knees, and a sudden rigidity fell upon the small 

 insignificant face. 



Norry the Boat threw herself upon her knees with a howl, 

 and began to pray loudly. At the sound the cat leaped to 

 the floor, and the hand that had been placed upon him in 

 the only farewell his mistress was to take, dropped stiffly on 

 the bed. Miss Charlotte snatched up the candle, and held 

 it close to her aunt's face. There was no mistaking what 



