228 The Real Charlotte, 



now ! " she said, as if struck by a new idea. " I'll tel! ye 

 how we could settle the matter ! It's a way you won't like, 

 and it's a way I don't like either, but I solemnly think you 

 owe it to yourself, and to your position as a wife. Will you 

 let me say it to you ? " 



" Oh, you may, Charlotte, you may," said Mrs. Lambert 

 tearfully. 



" Well, my advice to you is this, to see what old letters 

 of hers he has, and ye'U be able to judge for yourself what 

 the truth of the case is. If there's no harm in them I'll be 

 only too ready to congratulate ye on proving me in the 

 wrong, and if there is, why, ye'll know what course to 

 pursue." 



" Is it look at Roddy's letters ? " cried Mrs. Lambert, 

 emerging from her handkerchief with a stare of horror ; 

 " he'd kill me if he thought I looked at them ! " 



" Ah, nonsense, woman, he'll never know you looked at 

 them," said Charlotte, scanning the room quickly ; " is it in 

 his study he keeps his private letters ? " 



" No, I think it's in his old despatch-box up on the shelf 

 there," answered Mrs. Lambert, a little taken with the idea, 

 in spite of her scruples. 



" Then ye're done," said Charlotte, looking up at the 

 despatch-box in its absolute security of Bramah lock ; " of, 

 course he has his keys with him always." 



" Well then, d'ye know," said Mrs. Lambert hesitatingly 

 *' I think I heard his keys jingling in the pocket of the coa^ 

 he took off before he went out, and I didn't notice him tak- 

 ing them out of it — but, oh, my dear, I wouldn't dare to open 

 any of his things. I might as well quit the house if he 

 found it out." 



" I tell you it's your privilege as a wife, and your plain 

 duty besides, to see those letters," urged Charlotte. " I'd re- 

 commend you to go up and get those keys now, this minute ; 

 it's like the hand of Providence that he should leave them 

 behind him." 



The force of her will had its effect. Mrs. Lambert got 

 up, and, after another declaration that Roderick would kill 

 her, went out of the room and up the stairs at a pace that 

 Charlotte did not think her capable of. She heard her step 

 hurrying into the room overhead, and in a surprisingly short 



