TJie Real Charlofte. 249 



that, me dear child, I'd trouble you to tell me what makes 

 you the colour of blay calico last night and this morning ? 

 It certainly wasn't all the cake you had at afternoon tea. I 

 declare I was quite vexed when I saw that lovely cake in 

 the larder, and not a bit gone from it." 



Francie coloured. *' I was up very early yesterday mak- 

 ing that cross, and I daresay that tired me. Tell me, did 

 Mr. Lambert say anything about it ? Did he like it ? " 



Charlotte looked at her, but could discern no special ex- 

 pression in the piquant profile that was silhouetted against 

 the light. 



" He had other things to think of besides your wreath," 

 she said coarsely ; " when a man's wife isn't cold in her 

 coffin, he has something to think of besides young ladies' 

 wreaths ! " 



There was silence after this, and Francie wondered what 

 had made Charlotte suddenly get so cross for notliing ; she 

 had been so good-natured for the last week. The thought 

 passed through her mind that possibly Mr. Lambert had 

 taken as little notice of Charlotte as of the wreath ; she was 

 just sufficiently aware of the state of affairs to know that 

 such a cause might have such an effect, and she wished she 

 had tried any other topic of conversation. Darning is, how- 

 ever, an occupation that does not tend to unloose the 

 strings of the tongue, and even when carried out according 

 to the unexacting methods of Macadam, it demands a cer- 

 tain degree of concentration, and Francie left to Charlotte 

 the task of finding a more congenial subject. It was 

 chosen with unexpected directness. 



" What was the matter with you yesterday afternoon when 

 Louisa brought in the tea ? " 



Francie felt as though a pistol had been let off at her ear ; 

 the blood surged in a great wave from her heart to her head, 

 her heart gave a shattering thump against her side, and 

 then went on beating again in a way that made her hands 

 shake. 



"Yesterday afternoon, Charlotte?" she said, while her 

 brain sought madly for a means of escape and found none ; 

 "there — there was nothing the matter with me." 



'* Look here now, Francie ; " Charlotte turned away from 

 her davenport, and faced her cousin with her fists clenched 



