230 Tne Reai CfUinoUe. 



If the lock had not been an easy one, it is probable that 

 Mrs. Lambert's helpless fingers would never have turned the 

 key, but it yielded to the first touch, and she lifted the lid. 

 Charlotte craned over her shoulder with eyes that ravened 

 on the contents of the box. 



" No, there's nothing there," she said, taking in with one 

 look the papers that lay in the tray ; " lift up the tray ! " 



Mrs. Lambert, now past remonstrance, did as she was 

 bid, and some bundles of letters and a few photographs were 

 brought to light. 



" Show the photographs ! " said Charlotte in one fierce 

 breath. 



But here Mrs. Lambert's courage failed. " Oh, I can't, 

 don't ask me ! " she wailed, clasping her hands on her 

 bosom, with a terror of some irrevocable truth that might 

 await her adding itself to the fear of discovery. 



Charlotte caught one of her hands, and, with a guttural 

 sound of contempt, forced it down on to the photograph. 



"Show it to me!" 



Her victim took up the photographs, and turning them 

 round, revealed two old pictures of Lambert in riding 

 clothes, with Francie beside him in a very badly made habit, 

 with her hair down her back. 



" What d'ye think of that ? " said Charlotte. She was 

 gripping Mrs. Lambert's sloping shoulder, and her breath 

 was coming hard and short. "Now, get out her letters. 

 There they are in the corner ! " 



" Ah, she's only a child in that picture," said Mrs. 

 Lambert in a tone of relief, as she hurriedly put the photo- 

 graphs back. 



" Open the letters and ye'U see what sort of a child she 

 was." 



Mrs. Lambert made no further demur. She took out the 

 bundle that Charlotte pointed to, and drew the top one from 

 its retaining india-rubber strap. Even in affairs of the heart 

 Mr. Lambert was a tidy man. 



" My dear Mr. Lambert," she read aloud, in a deprecating, 

 tearful voice that was more than ever like the quivering 

 chirrup of a turkey-hen, " the cake was scrumptious, all the 

 girls were after me for a bit of it, and asking where I got it, 

 but I wouldn't tell. I put it under my pillow three nights, 



