The Real Charlotte, 75 



came slower and slower as he approached his own entrance 

 gates, and he looked at his watch. 



" Confound it ! it's only half-past four. I can't go in 

 yet;" then, a new idea striking him, ''perhaps she went out 

 to meet Charlotte. I declare I might as well go a bit 

 down the road and see if they're coming back yet." 



He walked for at least half a mile under the trees, whose 

 young June leaves had already a dissipated powdering of 

 white Hmestone dust, without meeting anything except a 

 donkey with a pair of creaking panniers on its back, walking 

 alone and discreetly at its own side of the road, as well 

 aware as Mr. Lambert that its owner was dallying with a 

 quart of porter at a roadside public house a mile away. 

 The turn to Gurthnamuckla was not far off when the distant 

 rumble of wheels became at last audible; Lambert had 

 only time to remember angrily that, as the Tally Ho 

 phaeton had but two seats, he had had his walk for nothing, 

 when the bowed head and long melancholy face of the 

 black horse came in sight, and he became aware that Char- 

 lotte was without a companion. 



Her face had more colour in it than usual as she pulled 

 up beside him, perhaps from the heat of the afternoon and 

 the no small exertion of flogging her steed, and her manner 

 when she spoke was neither bluff nor hearty, but approxi- 

 mated more nearly to that of ordinary womankind than was 

 its wont. Mr. Lambert noticed none of these things ; and, 

 being a person whose bleeding was not always equal to 

 annoying emergencies, he did not trouble himself to take 

 off his hat or smile appropriately as Charlotte said — 



" Well, Roddy, I'd as soon expect to see your two 

 horses sitting in the dog-cart driving you as to see you as 

 far from home as this on your own legs. Where are you 

 off to ? " 



" I was taking a stroll out to meet you, and ask you to 

 come back and have tea with Lucy," replied Mr. Lambert, 

 recognising the decree of fate with a singularly bad grace. 

 " I went down to Tally Ho to ask you, and Norry told me 

 you had gone to Gurthnamuckla." 



"^ Did you see Francie there ? " said Charlotte quickly. 



" No ; I believe she was out somewhere." 



" Well, you were a very good man to take so much trouble 



