1 66 The Real Charlotte. 



He had no particular object in lowering Hawkins in Lady 

 Dysart's eyes, beyond the fact that it was an outlet for his in- 

 dignation at Francie's behaviour in leaving him, her oldest 

 friend, to go and make a common laughing-stock of herself 

 with that young puppy, which was the form in which the 

 position shaped itself in his angry mind. He almost de- 

 cided to tell Lady Dysart the episode of the Limerick 

 tobacconist's daughter, when they saw Miss Hope-Drum mond 

 and Captain Cursiter coming up the shrubbery path towards 

 them, and he was obliged to defer it to a better occasion. 



"What was all that whistling about, Captain Cursiter?" 

 asked Lady Dysart, with a certain vicarious severity 



Captain Cursiter seemed indisposed for discussion. " Mr. 

 Hawkins was trying the whistle, I think," he repUed with 

 equal severity. 



^' Oh, yes, Lady Dysart ! " broke in Miss Hope- 

 Drummond, apparently much amused ; " Mr. Hawkins has 

 nearly deafened us with that ridiculous whistle ; they would 

 go off down the lake, and when we called after them to ask 

 where they were going, and told them they would be late 

 for tea, they did nothing but whistle back at us in that 

 absurd way." 



" Why ? What ? Who have gone ? Whom do you 

 mean by they ? " Lady Dysart's handsome eyes shone like 

 stars as they roved in wide consternation from one speaker 

 to another. 



" Miss Fitzpatrick and Mr. Hawkins ! " responded Miss 

 Hope-Drummond with childlike gaiety ; " we were all talk- 

 ing on the pier, and we suddenly heard them calling out 

 * good-bye ! ' And Mr. Hawkins said he couldn't stop the 

 boat, and off they went down the lake ! I don't know when 

 we shall see them again." 



Lady Dysart's feelings found vent in a long-drawn groan. 

 " Not able to stop the boat ! Oh, Captain Cursiter, is there 

 any danger ? Shall I send a boat after them ? Oh, how I 

 wish this house was in the Desert of Sahara, oi that that in- 

 tolerable lake was at the bottom of the sea ! " 



This was not the first time that Captain Cursiter had been 

 called upon to calm Lady Dysart's anxieties in connection 

 with the lake, and he now unwillingly felt himself bound to 

 assure her that Hawkins thoroughly understood the manage- 



