2/8 The Real Charlotte. 



" You told me so yourself." 



" I didn't. I only told you I'd had a row with her." 



"Well, that's as good as saying you had to run. You 

 don't suppose I thought you'd get the better of Charlotte ? " 



" I daresay you didn't, because you're afraid of her 

 yourself ! " 



There was a degree of truth in this that made Mr. 

 Lambert suddenly realise Francie's improper levity about 

 serious things. 



'* I'll tell you one thing I'm afraid of,'' he said severely, 

 " and that is that you made a mistake in fighting with Char- 

 lotte. If you'd chosen to — to do as she wished, she's easy 

 enough to get on with." 



Francie flung her fern over the parapet and made no 

 answer. 



" I suppose you know she's moved into Gurthnamuckla ? " 

 he went on. 



" I know nothing about anything," interrupted Francie ; 

 '" I don't know how long it isn't since you wrote to me, and 

 when you do you never tell me anything. You might be all 

 dead and buried down there for all I know or care ! " 



The smallest possible glance under her eyelids tempered 

 this statement and confused Mr. Lambert's grasp of his 

 subject. 



"Do you mean that, about not caring if I was dead 

 or no? I daresay you do. No one cares now what 

 happens to me.' 



He almost meant what he said, her elusiveness was so 

 exasperating, and his voice told his sincerity. Last summer 

 she would have laughed pitilessly at his pathos^ and made 

 it up with him afterwards. But she was changed since last 

 summer, and now as she looked at him she felt a forlorn 

 kinship with him. 



*' Ah, what nonsense ! " she said caressingly. '* I'd be 

 awfully sorry if anything happened you." As if he could 

 not help himself he took her hand, but before he could 

 speak she had drawn it away. " Indeed, you might have 

 been dead," she went on hurriedly, " for all you told me in 

 your letters. Begin now and tell me the Lismoyle news. I 

 think you said the Dysarts were away from Bruff still, 

 didn't you ? " 



