240 The Real Charlotte. 



" She was such a friend of poor Mrs. Lambert's," said 

 Francie ; " and I declare," she added, glad of even this 

 trivial chance of showing herself antagonistic to Charlotte, 

 " I think she delights in funerals." 



" She has a peculiar way of showing her delight," replied 

 Christopher, with just enough ill-nature to make Francie 

 feel that her antagonism was understood and sympathised 

 with. 



Francie gave an irrepressible laugh. *' I don't think she 

 minds crying before people. I wish everyone minded cry- 

 ing as little as she does." 



Christopher looked at her, and thought he saw something 

 about her eyes that told of tears. 



" Do you mind crying ? " he said, lowering his voice 

 while more feeling escaped into his glance than he had 

 intended ; " it doesn't seem natural that you should ever 

 cry." 



'• You're very inquisitive ! " said Francie, the sparkle 

 coming back to her eye in a moment ; " why shouldn't I 

 cry if I choose ? " 



" I should not like to think that you had anything to 

 make you cry." 



She looked quickly at him to see if his face were as sin- 

 cere as his voice ; her perceptions were fine enough to 

 suggest that it would be typical of Christopher to show her 

 by a special deference and friendliness that he was sorry for 

 her, but now, as ever, she was unable to classify those deli- 

 cate shades of manner and meaning that might have told 

 her where his liking melted into love. She had been accus- 

 tomed to see men as trees walking, beings about whose 

 individuality of character she did not trouble herself; 

 generally they made love to her, and, if they did not, she 

 presumed that they did not care about her, and gave them 

 no further attention. But this test did not seem satisfactory 

 in Christopher's case. 



*' I know what everyone thinks of me," she said, a heart 

 truth welling to the surface as she felt herself pitied and 

 comprehended ; " no one believes I ever have any trouble 

 about anything." 



Christopher's heart throbbed at the bitterness in a voice 

 that he had always known so whollj^ careless and undisturbed; 



