6^ The Real Charlotte. 



'* Well, I'll give you no answer till I get Mr. Dysart*s 

 opinion. He's the only one of you that knows the lake," 

 she said more graciously. *' \{ you say the steamboat is safe, 

 Mr. Dysart, and you'll come and see we're not drowned by 

 these harum-scarum soldiers, I've no objection to going." 



Further discussion was interrupted by a rush and a scurry 

 on the gravel of the garden path, and a flying ball of fur 

 dashed up the outside of the window, the upper half of 

 which was open, and suddenly realising its safety, poised 

 itself on the sash, and crooned and spat with a collected 

 fury at Mr. Hawkins' bull terrier, who leaped unavailingly 

 below. 



" Oh ! me poor darling Bruffy ! " screamed Miss Mullen, 

 springing up and upsetting her cup of tea ; " she'll be killed ! 

 Call off your dog, Mr. Hawkins ! " 



As if in answer to her call, a tall figure darkened the 

 window, and Mr. Lambert pushed Mrs. Bruff into the room 

 with the handle of his walking-stick. 



" Hullo, Charlotte ! Isn't that Hawkins' dog ? " he began, 

 putting his head in at the window ; then, with a sudden 

 change of manner as he caught sight of Miss Mullen's 

 guests, *' oh — I had no idea you had anyone here," he said, 

 taking off his hat to as much of Pamela and Miss Hope- 

 Drummond as was not hidden by Charlotte's bulky person, 

 " I only thought I'd call round and see if Francie would like 

 to come out for a row before dinner." 



CHAPTER X. 



Washerwomen do not, as a rule, assimilate the principles 

 of their trade. In Lismoyle, the row of cottages most 

 affected by ladies of that profession was, indeed, planted by 

 the side of the lake, but except in winter, when the floods 

 sent a muddy wash in at the kitchen doors of Ferry Row, 

 the customers' linen alone had any experience of its waters. 

 The clouds of steam from the cauldrons of boiling clothes 

 ascended from morning till night, and hung in beads upon 

 the sooty cobwebs that draped the rafters ; the food and 

 wearing apparel of the laundresses and their vast families 



