The Real Charlotte, 123 



filling 7er shtummucks with what'U sicken thim, and 

 dhraggin' the people from their work to be runnin' afther 

 ye ! " 



" I don't want you to be running after me," began 

 Francie humbly. 



" Faith thin that's the truth ! " returned the inexorable 

 Norry ; " if ye have thim off'cers running afther ye ye're 

 satisfied. Here, give me the bowl till I butther it. I'd 

 sooner butther it meself than to be lookin' at ye doin' it ! " 



A loud cough, coming from the scullery, of the pecu- 

 liarly doleful type affected by beggars, momentarily inter- 

 rupted this tirade. 



^^Shdse mick, Nance ! Look at that, now, how ye have 

 poor Nance the Fool waitin' on me till I give her the 

 empty bottle for Julia Duffy." 



Francie moved towards the scullery door, urged by a 

 natural curiosity to see what manner of person Nance the 

 Fool might be, and saw, squatted on the damp flags, an 

 object which could only be described as a bundle of rags with 

 a cough in it. The last characteristic was exhibited in such 

 detail at the sight of Francie that she retired into the 

 kitchen again, and ventured to suggest to Norry that the 

 bottle should be given as soon as possible, and the scullery 

 relieved of Nance the Fool's dreadful presence. 



" There it is for her on the dhresser," replied Norry, 

 still furiously whipping the eggs ; " ye can give it yerself." 



From the bundle of rags, as Francie approached it, there 

 issued a claw, which snatched the bottle and secreted it, and 

 Francie just caught a glimpse, under the swathing of rags, 

 of eyes so inflamed with crimson that they seemed to her 

 Hke pools of blood, and heard mouthings and mumblings 

 of Irish which might have been benedictions, but, if so, 

 were certainly blessings in disguise. 



" That poor craythur walked three miles to bring me the 

 bottle I have there on the dhresser. It's yerr'b tay that 

 Julia Duffy makes for thim that has the colic." Norry was 

 softening a little as the whites of the eggs rose in stiff and 

 silvery froth. "Julia's a cousin of me own, through the 

 mother's family, and she's able to docthor as good as e'er a 

 docthor there's in it." 



" I don't think I'd care to have her doctoring me," said 



