92 The Real Charlotte. 



" Oh, my sister is used to that sort of thing," said 

 Christopher, '* and Miss Hope-Drummond is there to help, 

 isn't she ? " 



Charlotte had seated herself on a rock, and was fanning 

 herself with her pocket-handkerchief; evidently going to 

 make herself agreeable, Christopher thought, with an irrita- 

 bility that lost no detail of her hand's ungainly action. 



" I don't think Miss Hope-Drummond is much in the 

 utilitarian line," she said, with a laugh that was as sUghting 

 as she dared to make it. " Hers is the purely ornamental, 

 I should imagine. Now, I will say for poor Francie, if she 

 was there, no one would work harder than she would, and, 

 though I say it that shouldn't, I think she's ornamental 

 too." 



" Oh, highly ornamental/' said Christopher politely. *' I 

 don't think there can be any doubt about that." 



"You're very good to say so,"repHed Charlotte effusively; 

 ** but I can tell you, Mr. Dysart, that poor child has had to 

 make herself useful as well as ornamental before now. 

 From what she tells me I suspect there were few things she 

 didn't have to put her hand to before she came down to me 

 here." 



'^ Really ! " said Christopher, as politely as before, " that 

 was very hard luck." 



" You may say that it was ! " returned Charlotte, planting 

 a hand on each knee with elbows squared outwards, as was 

 her wont in moments of excitement, and taking up her 

 parable against the Fitzpatricks with all the enthusiasm of a 

 near relation. '• Her uncle and aunt are very good people 

 in their way, I suppose, but beyond feeding her and putting 

 clothes on her back, I don't know what they did for her." 



Charlotte had begun her sentence with comparative calm, 

 but she had gathered heat and velocity as she proceeded. 

 She paused with a snort, and Christopher, who had never 

 before been privileged to behold her in her intenser 

 moments, said, without a very distinct idea of what was ex- 

 pected of him : 



" Oh, really, and who are these amiable people? " 



" Fitzpatricks ! " spluttered Miss Mullen, " and no better 

 than the dirt under my poor cousin Isabella Mullen's feet. 

 It's through her Francie's related to me, and not through 



