62 The Real Charlotte. 



" Oh, let me go," said Hawkins, springing to open the 

 door ; '' I know Louisa ; she was very kind to me just now. 

 She hunted all the cats out of the room." Francie was al- 

 ready in the hall, and he followed her. 



The search for Louisa was lengthy, involving much calling 

 for her by Francie, with falsetto imitations by Mr. Hawkins, 

 and finally a pause, during which it might be presumed that 

 the pantry was being explored. Pamela brought her chair 

 nearer to Miss Mullen, who had begun wrathfully to stir 

 her tea with the sugar-tongs, and entered upon a soothing 

 line of questions as to the health and number of the cats ; 

 and Christopher, having cut the grocer's cake, and found 

 that it was the usual conglomerate of tallow, saw-dust, bad 

 eggs, and gravel, devoted himself to thick bread and butter, 

 and to conversation with Miss Hope-Drummond. The 

 period of second cups was approaching, when laughter, and 

 a jingle of falling silver in the hall, told that the search for 

 Louisa was concluded, and Francie and Mr. Hawkins re- 

 entered the drawing-room, the latter endeavouring, not un- 

 successfully, to play the bones with four of Charlotte's best 

 electro-plated teaspoons, while his brown boots moved in 

 the furtive rhythm of an imaginary break-down. Miss 

 Mullen did not even raise her eyes, and Christopher and 

 Miss Hope-Drummond continued their conversation un- 

 moved ; only Pamela acknowledged the histrionic intention 

 with a sympathetic but nervous smile. Pamela's finger was 

 always instinctively on the pulse of the person to whom she 

 was talking, and she knew better than either Francie or 

 Hawkins that they were in disgrace. 



*' I'd be obliged to you for those teaspoons, Mr. Hawkins, 

 when you've quite done with them," said Charlotte, with an 

 ugly look at the chief offender's self-satisfied countenance ; 

 " it's a good thing no one except myself takes sugar in their 

 tea." 



** We couldn't help it," replied Mr. Hawkins, unabashed ; 

 "Louisa was out for a walk with her young man, and 

 Miss Fitzpatrick and I had to polish up the teaspoons our- 

 selves." 



Charlotte received this explanation and the teaspoons in 

 jilence as she poured out the delinquents' tea ; there were 

 Bioments when she permitted herself the satisfaction of 



