The Real Charlotte. 231 



but all I dreamt of was Uncle Robert walking round and 

 round Stephen's Green in his night-cap. You must have 

 had a grand wedding. Why didn't you ask me there to 

 dance at it ? So now no more from your affectionate friend, 

 F. Fitzpatrick." 



Mrs. Lambert leaned back, and her hands fell into her 

 lap. 



" Well, thank God there's no harm in that, Charlotte," 

 she said, closing her eyes with a sigh that might have been 

 relief, though her voice sounded a little dreamy and be- 

 wildered. 



** Ah, you began at the wrong end," said Charlotte, little 

 attentive to either sigh or tone, " that was written five years 

 ago. Here, what's in this ? " She indicated the one lowest 

 in the packet. 



Mrs. Lambert opened her eyes. 



" The drops ! " she said with sudden energy, " on the 

 sideboard — oh, save me — ! " 



Her voice fainted away, her eyes closed, and her head fell 

 limply on to her shoulder. Charlotte sprang instinctively 

 towards the sideboard, but suddenly stopped and looked 

 from Mrs. Lambert to the bundle of letters. She caught it 

 up, and plucking out a couple of the most recent, read them 

 through with astonishing speed. She was going to take out 

 another when a slight movement from her companion made 

 her throw them down. 



Mrs. Lambert was slipping off the high dining-room chair 

 on which she was sitting, and there was a look about her 

 mouth that Charlotte had never seen there before. Char- 

 lotte had her arm under her in a moment, and, letting her 

 slip quietly down, laid her flat on the floor. Through the 

 keen and crowding contingencies of the moment came a 

 sound from outside, a well-known voice calling and whistling 

 to a dog, and in the same instant Charlotte had left Mrs. 

 Lambert and was deftly and swiftly replacing letters and 

 photographs in the despatch-box. She closed the lid noise- 

 lessly, put it back on its shelf with scarcely an effort, and 

 after a moment of uncertainty, slipped the keys into Mrs. 

 Lambert's pocket. She knew that Lambert would never 

 guess at his wife's one breach of faith. Then, with a 

 quickness almost incredible in a woman of her build, she 



