The Real Charlotte. 223 



intended that she should feel, and with a last injunction to 

 the girl in the shop to be sure not to let the Rosemount 

 messenger leave town on Saturday night without the parcel 

 that he'd get from upstairs, she addressed herself to the 

 task of walking home. She was in very good spirits, and 

 the thought of a new dress for church next Sunday was 

 exhilarating ; it was a pleasant fact also that Charlotte 

 Mullen was coming to tea, and she and Muffy, the Maltese 

 terrier, turned into Barrett's to buy a tea-cake in honour of 

 the event. Mrs. Beattie was also there, and the two ladies 

 and Mrs. Barrett had a most enjoyable discussion on tea ; 

 Mrs. Beattie advocating " the one and threepenny from the 

 Stores," while Mrs. Barrett and her other patroness agreed 

 in upholding the Lismoyle three-and-sixpenny against all 

 others. Mrs. Lambert set forth again with her tea-cake in 

 her hand, and with such a prosperous expression of coun- 

 tenance that Nance the Fool pursued her down the street 

 with a confidence that was not unrewarded. 



*' That the hob of heaven may be your scratching post ! " 

 she screamed, in the midst of one of her most effective fits 

 of coughing, as Mrs. Lambert's round little dolmaned figure 

 passed complacently onward, " that Pether and Paul may 

 wait on ye, and that the saints may be surprised at yer 

 success ! She's sharitable, the craythur," she ended in a 

 lower voice, as she rejoined the rival and confederate who 

 had yielded to her the right of plundering the last passer-by, 

 " and sign's on it, it thrives with her ; she's got very gross ! ' 



** Faith it wasn't crackin' blind nuts made her that fat," 

 said the confidante unamiably, " and with all her riches she 

 didn't give ye the price of a dhrink itself ! " 



Mrs. Lambert entered her house by the kitchen, so as to 

 give directions to Eliza Hackett about the tea-cake, and 

 when she got upstairs she found Charlotte already awaiting 

 her in the dining-room, occupied in reading a pamphlet on 

 stall feeding, with apparently as complete a zest as if it had 

 been one of those yellow paper-covered volumes whose 

 appearance aroused such a respectful horror in Lismoyle. 



" Well, Lucy, is this the way you receive your visitors 1 " 

 she began jocularly, as she rose and kissed her hostess's 

 florid cheek ; " I needn't ask how you are, as you're 

 looking blooming." 



