The Real Charlotte. 6r 



as merely outree and incomprehensible, she had now come 

 to look upon as rather impertinent. Irish society was in- 

 tolerably mixed, she decided, as she sniffed the various 

 odours of the Tally Ho hall^ and, with some sub-connection 

 of ideas, made up her mind that photography was a detest- 

 able and silly pursuit for men. While these thoughts were 

 passing beneath her accurately curled fringe, Miss Mullen 

 opened the drawing-room door, and, as they walked in, a 

 short young man in light grey clothes arose from the most 

 comfortable chair to greet them. 



There was surprise and disfavour in Miss Mullen's eye as 

 she extended her hand to him. 



" This is an unexpected pleasure, Mr. Hawkins," she 

 said. 



"Yes," answered Mr. Hawkins cheerfully, taking the 

 hand and doing his best to shake it at the height prescribed 

 by existing fashion, "I thought it would be; Miss Fitz- 

 patrick asked me to come in this afternoon; didn't you?" 

 addressing himself to Francie. " I got rather a nasty jar 

 when I heard you were all out, but I thought I'd wait for a 

 bit. I knew Miss Dysart always gives 'em fits at the choir 

 practice. All the same, you know, I should have begun to 

 eat the cake if you hadn't come in." 



The round table in the middle of the room was spread, 

 in Louisa's accustomed fashion, as if for breakfast, and in 

 the centre was placed a cake, coldly decked in the silver 

 paper trappings that it had long worn in the grocer's 

 window. 



" 'Twas well for you you didn't ! " said Francie, with, as 

 it seemed to Christopher, a most famihar and challenging 

 laugh. 



" Why ? " inquired Hawkins, looking at her with a respon- 

 sive eye. " What would you have done ? " 



" Plenty," returned Francie unhesitatingly ; " enough to 

 make you sorry anyway ! " 



Mr. Hawkins looked delighted, and was openmg his 

 mouth for a suitable rejoinder, when Miss Mullen struck in 

 sharply : 



" Francie, go tell Louisa that I suppose she expects us 

 to stir our tea with our fingers, for there's not a spoon on 

 the table." 



