222 The Real Charlotte, 



her I came here, and to tell her 'twas she lent money to 

 Peter Joyce that was grazing my farm, and refused it to him 

 secondly, the way he'd go bankrupt on me, and she's to have 

 my farm and my house that my grandfather built, thinking 

 to even herself with the rest of the gentry — " 



Her voice had become wilder and louder, and Christopher, 

 uncomfortably aware that Francie could hear this indictment 

 of Miss Mullen as distinctly as he did, intervened again. 



" Look here. Miss Duffy," he said in a lower voice, " it's 

 no use talking like this. If I can help you I will, but it 

 would be a good deal better if you went home now. You — 

 you seem ill, and it's a great mistake to stay here exciting 

 yourself and making a noise. Write to me, and I'll see that 

 you get fair play." 



Julia threw back her head and laughed, with a venom 

 that seemed too concentrated for drunkenness. 



" Ye'd better see ye get fair play yerself before you talk 

 so grand about it 1 " She pointed up at Francie. " Mrs. 

 Dysart indeed 1 " — she bowed with a sarcastic exaggeration, 

 that in saner moments she would not have been capable of 

 — " Lady Dysart of Bruff, one of these days I suppose ! " — 

 she bowed again. " That's what Miss Charlotte Mullen has 

 laid out for ye," addressing herself to Christopher, " and 

 ye'U not get away from that one till ye're under her foot ! " 



She laughed again ; her face became vacant and yet full 

 of pain, and she staggered away down the avenue, talking 

 violently and gesticulating with her hands. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



Mrs. Lambert gathered up her purse, her list, her bag, and 

 her parasol from the table in Miss Greely's wareroom, and 

 turned to give her final directions. 



" Now, Miss Greely, before Sunday for certain ; and 

 you'll be careful about the set of the skirt, that it doesn't 

 firk up at the side, the way the black one did — " 



'* We understand the set of a skirt, Mrs. Lambert," inter- 

 posed the elder Miss Greely in her most aristocratic voice ; 

 " I think you may leave that to us." 



Mrs. Lambert retreated, feeling as snubbed as it was 



