124 ^^^ ^^^/ Charlotte. 



Francie, mindful of the touzled head and dirty face that 

 had looked down upon her from the window at Gurthna- 

 muckla. 



" And little shance ye'd have to get her ! " retorted Norry; 

 " 'tis little she regards the likes o' you towards thim that 

 hasn't a Christhian to look to but herself." Norry defiantly 

 shook the foam from the birch rod, and proceeded with her 

 eulogy of Julia Duffy. " She's as wise a woman and as 

 good a scholar as what's in the country, and raany's the 

 poor craythure that's prayin' hard for her night and morning 

 for all she done for thim. B'leeve you me, there's plinty 

 would come to her funeral that'd be follyin' their own only 

 for her and her doctherin'." 



'' She has a very pretty place," remarked Francie, who 

 wished to be agreeable, but could not conscientiously extol 

 Miss Duffy ; " it's a pity she isn't able to keep the house 

 nicer." 



" Nice ! What way have she to keep it nice that hasn't 

 one but herself to look to ! And if it was clane itself, it's 

 all the good it'd do her that they'd throw her out of it 

 quicker." 



" Who'd throw her out ? " 



" I know that meself." Norry turned away and banged 

 open the door of the oven. " There's plinty that's ready to 

 pull the bed from undher a lone woman if they're lookin' for 

 it for theirselves." 



The mixture had by this time been poured into its tin 

 shape, and, having placed it in the oven, Francie seated 

 herself on the kitchen table to superintend its baking. The 

 voice of conscience told her to go back to the dining-room 

 and finish her letter, but she repressed it, and, picking up a 

 kitten that had lurked, unsuspected, between a frying-pan 

 and the wall during the rout of its relatives, she proceeded 

 to while away the time by tormenting it, and insulting the 

 cockatoo with frivolous questions. 



Miss Mullen's weekly haggle with the butcher did not 

 last quite as long as usual this Friday morning. She had, 

 in fact, concluded it by herself taking the butcher's knife, 

 and, with jocose determination, had proceeded to cut off 

 the special portion of the " rack " which she wished for, in 

 spite of Mr. Driscoll's protestations that it had been bespoke 



