2CX5 The Real Charlotte. 



" I never noticed anything so wonderfully familiar," she 

 said, in a tone meant to provoke further confidence ; " I 

 never knew Roddy yet that he wasn't civil to a pretty girl ; 

 and as for Francie, any man comes handy to her ! Upon 

 my word, she'd dote on a tongs, as they say ! " 



Mrs. Lambert fidgeted nervously with her long gold 

 watchchain. " Well, Charlotte," she said, a little defiantly, 

 " I've been married to him five years now, and I've never 

 known him particular with any girl." 



"Then, my dear woman, what's this nonsense you're 

 talking about him and Francie ? " said Charlotte, with 

 Mephistophelian gaiety. 



** Oh, Charlotte ! " said Mrs. Lambert, suddenly getting 

 very red, and beginning to whimper, " I never thought to 

 speak of it — '* she broke off and began to look for her 

 handkerchief, while her respectable middle-aged face began 

 to wrinkle up like a child's, " and, indeed, I don't want to 

 say anything against the girl, for she's a nice girl, and so 

 I've always found her, but I can't help noticing — " she 

 broke off again. 



" What can't ye help noticing ? " demanded Charlotte 

 roughly. 



Mrs. Lambert drew a long breath that was half-suffocated 

 by a sob. " Oh, I don't know," she cried helplessly ; " he's 

 always going down to Tally Ho, by the way he'll take her 

 out riding or boating or something, and though he doesn't 

 say much, a little thing'il slip out now and again, and you 

 can't say a word to him but he'll get cross." 



*' Maybe he's in trouble about money unknown to you," 

 suggested Charlotte, who, for some reason or other, was not 

 displaying her usual capacity for indictment, "or maybe he 

 finds ' life not worth living because of the liver ' ! " she 

 ended, with a mirthless laugh. 



" Oh, no, no, Charlotte ; indeed, it's no laughing joke at 

 all — " Mrs. Lambert hesitated, then, with a little hysterical 

 burst of sobs, " he talks about her in his sleep ! " she 

 quavered out, and began to cry miserably. 



Charlotte sat perfectly still, looking at Mrs. Lambert with 

 eyes that saw, but held no pity for, her abundant teais. 

 How far more serious was this thing, it true, to her, than to 

 that contemptible whining creature, whose snuffling gasps 



