i8o The Real Charlotte. 



turned from Bruff that day, and trailing clouds of glory 

 followed her in the mind's eye of the party as she came into 

 the room. Most people, too, knew of the steam-launch 

 adventure, so that when, later in the proceedings, Mr. 

 Hawkins made his appearance, poor Mrs. Beattie was given 

 small credit for having secured this prize. 



^' Are they engaged, do you think ? " whispered Miss 

 Corkran, the curate's sister, to Miss Baker. 



" Engaged indeed ! " echoed Miss Baker, *' no more than 

 you are ! If you knew him as well as I do you'd know that 

 flirting's all he cares for ! " 



Miss Corkran, who had not the pleasure of Mr. Hawkins' 

 acquaintance, regarded him coldly through her spectacles, 

 and said that for her own part she disapproved of flirting, 

 but liked making gentlemen-friends. 



" Well, I suppose I might as well confess," said Miss 

 Baker with a frivolous laugh, ''that there's nothing I care for 

 like flirting, but p'pa's awful particular! Wasn't he for 

 turning Dr. M'Call out of the house last summer because 

 he cot me curling his moustache with my curling-tongs ! ' I 

 don't care what you do with officers,' says p'pa, ' but I'll not 

 have you going on with that Rathgar bounder of a fellow ! ' 

 Ah, but that was when the poor ' Foragers ' were quartered 

 here ; they were the j oiliest lot we ever had ! " 



Miss Corkran paid scant attention to these memories, 

 being wholly occupied with observing the demeanour of 

 Mr. Hawkins, who was holding Miss Mullen in conversa- 

 tion. Charlotte's big, pale face had an intellectuality and 

 power about it that would have made her conspicuous in a 

 gathering more distinguished than the present, and even 

 Mr. Hawkins felt something like awe of her, and said to 

 himself that she would know how to make it hot for him if 

 she chose to cut up rough about the launch business. 



As he reflected on that escapade he felt that he would 

 have given a good round sum of money that it had not 

 taken place. He had played the fool in his usual way, and 

 now it didn't seem fair to back out of it. That, at all 

 events, was the reason he gave to himself for coming to this 

 blooming menagerie, as he inwardly termed Mrs. Beattie's 

 highest social effort ; it wouldn't do to chuck the whole 

 thing up all of a sudden, even though, of course, the little 



