The Real Charlotte. 259 



" Well, there's this, and her sealskin, and a lot of other 

 things that are too good to be given to servants," went on 

 Charlotte, rapidly bringing forth more of the treasures of 

 the poor turkey-hen's wardrobe, and proceeding to sort 

 them into two heaps on the floor. " What would you 

 think of making up the best of the things and sending 

 them up to one of those dealers in Dublin ? It's a sin to 

 let them go to loss." 



" Oh, damn it, Charlotte ! I can't sell her clothes ! " said 

 Lambert hastily. He pretended to no sentiment about his 

 wife, but some masculine instinct of chivalry gave him a 

 shock at the thought of making money out of the conven- 

 tional sanctities of a woman's apparel. 



" Well, what else do you propose to do with them ? " said 

 Charlotte, who had already got out a pencil and paper and 

 was making a list. 



" Upon my soul, I don't know," said Lambert, beginning 

 to realise that there was but one way out of the difficulty, 

 and perceiving with irritated amusement that Charlotte had 

 driven him towards it Hke a sheep, " unless you'd like them 

 yourself?" 



''And do you think I'd accept them from you?" de- 

 manded Charlotte, with an indignation so vivid that even 

 the friend of her youth was momentarily deceived and 

 almost frightened by it ; " I, that was poor Lucy's oldest 

 friend ! Do you think I could bear — " 



Lambert saw the opportunity that had been made for 

 him. 



" It's only because you were her oldest friend that I'd 

 offer them to you," he struck in \ "and if you won't have 

 them yourself, I thought you might know of someone that 

 would." 



Charlotte swallowed her wrath with a magnanimous effort. 

 " Well. Roddy, if you put it in that way, I don't like to 

 refuse," she said, wiping a ready tear away with a black- 

 edged pocket handkerchief; "it's quite true, I know plenty 

 would be glad of a help. There's that unfortunate Letitia 

 Fitzpatrick, that I'll be bound hasn't more than two gowns 

 to her back ; I might send her a bundle." 



" Send them to whom you like," said Lambert, ignoring 

 the topic of the Fitzpatricks as intentionally as it had been 



