The Real Charlotte. i8i 



girl knew as well as he did that it was all nothing but a lark. 

 This was pretty much the substance of the excuses that he 

 had offered to Captain Cursiter ; and they had seemed so 

 successful at the time that he now soothed his guilty 

 conscience with a rechauffe of them, while he slowly and 

 conversationally made his way round the room towards the 

 green rep sofa in the corner, whereon sat Miss Fitzpatrick, 

 looking charming things at Mr. Corkran, judging, at least, 

 by the smile that displayed the reverend gentleman's pro- 

 minent teeth to such advantage. Hawkins kept on looking 

 at her over the shoulder of the Miss Beattie to whom he was 

 talking, and with each glance he thought her looking more 

 and more lovely. Prudence melted in a feverish longing 

 to be near her again, and the direction of his wandering eye 

 became at length so apparent that Miss Carrie afterwards 

 told her sister that " Mr. Hawkins was/^^rfuily gone about 

 Francie Fitzpatrick — oh, the tender looks he cast at her ! " 



Mrs. Beattie's entertainments always began with music, 

 and the recognised musicians of Lismoyle were now con- 

 tributing his or her share in accustomed succession. 

 Hawkins waited until the time came for Mr. Corkran to 

 exhibit his wiry bass, and then definitely took up his 

 position on the green sofa. When he had first come into 

 the room their eyes had met with a thrilling sense of under- 

 standing, and since then Francie had felt rather than seen 

 nis steady and diplomatic advance in her direction. But 

 somehow, now that he was beside her, they seemed to find 

 little to say to each other. 



" I suppose they're all talking about our running aground 

 yesterday," he said at last in a low voice. " Does she 

 know anything about it yet ? " indicating Miss Mullen with 

 a scarcely perceptible turn of his eye. 



" No," replied Francie in the same lowered voice ; " but 

 she will before the evening's out. Everyone's quizzing me 

 about it." She looked at him anxiously as she spoke, and 

 his light eyebrows met in a frown. 



"Confound their cheek!" he said angrily; "why don t 

 you shut them up ? " 



" I don't know what to say to them. They only roar 

 laughing at me, and say I'm not born to be drowned 

 anyway." 



