1 88 The Real Charlotte. 



about letting her go away now, when they're having the fun 

 of Cork upstairs ? " 



Francie smiled a pale smile, but held to her point, and a 

 few minutes afterwards she and Charlotte had made their 

 way through the knot of loafers at the garden gate, and 

 were walking through the empty moon-lit streets of Lismoyle 

 towards Tally Ho. Charlotte did not speak till the last 

 clanging of the Bric-a-brac polka had been left behind, and 

 then she turned to Francie with a manner from which the 

 affability had fallen like a garment. 



" And now I'll thank you to tell me what's the truth of 

 this I hear from everyone in the town about you and that 

 young Hawkins being out till all hours of the night in the 

 steam-launch by yourselves ? " 



" It wasn't our fault. We were in by half-past nine." 

 Francie had hardly spirit enough to defend herself, and the 

 languor in her voice infuriated Charlotte. 



*^ Don't give me any of your fine-lady airs," she said 

 brutally ; " I can tell ye this, that if ye can't learn how to 

 behave yourself decently I'll pack ye back to Dublin ! " 



The words passed over Francie like an angry wind, dis- 

 turbing, but without much power to injure. 



" All right, I'll go away when you like." 



Charlotte hardly heard her. ^' I'll be ashamed to look 

 me old friend. Lady Dysart, in the face ! " She stormed 

 on. " Disgracing her house by such goings on with an un- 

 principled blackguard that has no more idea of marrying 

 you than I have — not that that's anything to be regretted ! 

 An impudent little upstart without a halfpenny in his 

 pocket, and as for family — " her contempt stemmed her 

 volubility for a mouthing moment. " God only knows 

 what gutter he sprang from j I don't suppose he has a drop 

 of blood in his whole body ! " 



" I'm not thinking of marrying him no more than he is of 

 marrying me," answered Francie in the same Hfeless voice, 

 but this time faltering a little. "You needn't bother me 

 about him, Charlotte ; he's engaged." 



" Engaged ! " yelled Charlotte, squaring round at her 

 cousin, and standing stock still in her amazement. " Why 

 didn't you tell me so before ? When did you hear it ? " 



" I heard it some time ago from a person whose name I 



