The Real Charlotte. 1 35 



Lady Dysart began to laugh, with the large and yet re- 

 fined bonhonwiie that was with her the substitute for tact. 



" Why shouldn't you come early, my dear child ? " she 

 said, looking approvingly at Francie's embarrassed counten- 

 ance. " I'll tell Pamela you are here. Evelyn, don't you 

 know Miss Fitzpatrick? " 



Miss Hope-Drummond, thus adjured, raised herself 

 /anguidly from her chair, and shook hands with the new- 

 comer, as Lady Dysart strode from the room with her 

 customary business-like rapidity. Silence reigned for nearly 

 a minute after the door closed ; but at length Miss Hope- 

 Drummond braced herself to the exertion of being agree- 

 able. 



" Very hot day, isn't it ? " looking at Francie's flushed 

 cheeks. 



"It is indeed, roasting ! I was nearly melting with the 

 heat on the jaunting-car coming over," replied Francie, with 

 a desire to be as responsive as possible, " but it's lovely and 

 cool in here." 



She looked at Miss Hope-Drummond's spotless white 

 gown, and wished she had not put on her Sunday terra- 

 cotta. 



"Oh, is it?" 



Silence ; during which Francie heard the wheels of her 

 car grinding away down the avenue, and wished that she 

 were on it. 



" Have you been out on the lake much lately, Miss 

 Hope-Drummond ? " 



Francie's wish was merely the laudable one of trying to 

 keep the heavy ball of conversation rolling, but the question 

 awoke a slumbering worm of discontent in her companion's 

 well-ordered breast. Christopher was even now loosing 

 from his moorings at the end of the park, without having 

 so much as mentioned that he was going out ; and Captain 

 Cursiter, her own compatriot, attached — almost linked — to 

 her by the bonds of mutual acquaintances, and her thorough 

 knowledge of the Lincolnshire Cursiters, had not risen to 

 the fly that she had only yesterday thrown over him on the 

 subject of the steam-launch. 



" No ; I had rather more than I cared for the last time 

 we were out, the day of the picnic. I've had neuralgia in 



