184 The Real Charlotte. 



had nevertheless made her point, and resolved that she 

 would next Sunday study the Pink One's inscrutable pages, 

 so that she and Mr. Hawkins might have, at least, one sub- 

 ject in common. 



By this time the younger members of the company had 

 finished their tea, and those nearest the door began to make 

 a move. The first to leave the room were Francie and 

 Lambert, and poor Hawkins, who had hoped that his time 

 of release had at length come, found it difficult to behave as 

 becomes a gentleman and a soldier, when Mrs. Rattray, with 

 the air of one who makes a concession, said she thought she 

 could try another saucer of raspberries. Before they left the 

 table the piano had begun again upstairs, and a muffled 

 thumping, that shook flakes from the ceiling down on to the 

 tea-table, told that the realities of the evening had begun at 

 last. 



" I knew the young people would be at that before the 

 evening was out," said Mrs. Beattie with an indulgent laugh, 

 " though the girls let on to me it was only a musical party 

 they wanted." 



" Ah well, they'll never do it younger ! " said Mrs, Baker, 

 leaning back with her third cup of tea in her hand. " Girls 

 will be girls, as I've just been saying to Miss Mullen." 



" Girls will be tom-fools ! " said Miss Mullen with a brow 

 of storm, thrusting her hands into her gloves, while her eyes 

 followed Hawkins, who had at length detached Mrs. Rattray 

 from the pleasures of the table, and was hurrying her out of 

 the room. 



" Oh now. Miss Mullen, you mustn't be so cynical," said 

 Mrs. Beattie from behind the tea-urn ; " we have six girls, 

 and I declare now Mr. Beattie and I wouldn't wish to have 

 one less." 



" Well, they're a great responsibility," said Mrs. Corkran 

 with a slow wag of her obtrusively widowed head, " and no 

 one knows that better than a mother. I shall never forget 

 the anxiety I went through — it was just before we came to 

 this parish — when my Bessy had an offer. Poor Mr. Cork- 

 ran and I disapproved of the young man, and we were both 

 quite distracted about it. Indeed we had to make it a sub- 

 ject of prayer, and a fortnight afterwards the young man 

 died. Oh, doesn't it show the wonderful force of prayer ? '^ 



