The Real Charlotte. 165 



" By Jove ! Lady Dysart, I always say that you have a 

 better head on your shoulders than any one of us ! That's 

 a regular happy thought." 



Any new scheme, no matter how revolutionary, was 

 sure to be viewed with interest, if not with favour, by Lady 

 Dysart, and if she happened to be its inventor, it was 

 endowed with virtues that only flourished more strongly in 

 the face of opposition. In a few minutes she had estabhshed 

 Miss Duffy in the back-lodge, with, for occupation, the care 

 of the incubator recently imported to Bruff, and hitherto a 

 failure except as a cooking-stove ; and for support, the milk 

 of a goat that should be chained to a laurel at the back of 

 the lodge, and fed by hand. While these details were still 

 being expanded, there broke upon the air a series of shrill, 

 discordant whistles, coming from the direction of the 

 lake. 



" Good heavens ! " ejaculated Lady Dysart. " What 

 can that be ? Something must be happening to the steam- 

 launch ; it sounds as if it were in danger ! " 



^^ It's more likely to be Hawkins playing the fool," 

 replied Lambert ill-temperedly. " I saw him on the launch 

 with Miss Fitzpatrick just after we left the pier." 



Lady Dysart said nothing, but her expression changed 

 with such dramatic swiftness from vivid alarm to disapproval, 

 that her mental attitude was as evident as if she had 

 spoken. 



" Hawkins is very popular in Lismoyle," observed Lam- 

 bert, trepidly. 



"That I can very well understand," said Lady Dysart, 

 opening her parasol with an abruptness that showed annoy- 

 ance, " since he takes so much trouble to make himself 

 agreeable to the Lismoyle young ladies." 



Another outburst of jerky, amateur whistles from the 

 steam launch gave emphasis to the remark. 



" Oh, the trouble's a pleasure," said Lambert acidly. 

 " I hope the pleasure won't be a trouble to the young ladies 

 one of these days." 



" Why, what do you mean ? " cried Lady Dysart, much 

 interested. 



^'Oh, nothing," said Lambert, with a laugh, "except that 

 he's been known to love and ride away before now." 



