284 The Real Charlotte, 



This piece of truckling was almost too flagrant, and 

 Lambert would not even look at her as he answered, 



^' I thought you seemed to be enjoying yourself, or I'd 

 have come away sooner." 



Francie felt none of the amusement that she would once 

 have derived from seeing Mr. Lambert in a bad temper ; 

 he had stepped into the foreground of her life and was 

 becoming a large and serious object there, too important 

 and powerful to be teased with any degree of pertinacity. 



" Enjoy myself! " she exclaimed, " I was thinking all the 

 time that my boots would be cut to pieces with the horrid 

 gravel ; and," she continued, laying her head on the plush- 

 covered back of her chair, and directing a laughing, pro- 

 pitiatory glance at her companion, " you know I had to talk 

 twice as much to poor Tommy because you wouldn't say a 

 word to him. Besides, I knew him long before I knew you." 



" Oh, of course if you don't mind being seen with a 

 fellow that looks like a tailor's apprentice, I have nothing 

 to say against it," replied Lambert, looking down on her, as 

 he stood fingering his moustache, with one elbow on the 

 chimney-piece. His eyes could not remain implacable 

 when they dwelt on the face that was upturned to him, 

 especially now, when he felt both in face and manner some- 

 thing of pathos and gentleness that was as new as it was 

 intoxicating. 



If he had known what it was that had changed her he 

 might have been differently affected by it ; as it was, he put 

 it down to the wretchedness of life at Albatross Villa, and 

 was glad of the adversity that was making things so much 

 easier for him. His sulkiness melted away in spite of him ; 

 it was hard to be sulky, with Francie all to himself, pouring 

 out his tea and talking to him with an intimateness that was 

 just tipped with flirtation ; in fact, as the moments slipped 

 by, and the thought gripped him that the next day would 

 find him alone at Rosemount, every instant of this last 

 afternoon in her society became unspeakably precious. 

 The the-a-te/e across the tea-table prolonged itself so en- 

 grossingly that Lambert forgot his wonted punctuality, and 

 their attempt to catch the five o'clock train for Bray re- 

 sulted in bringing them breathless to the station as th^ir 

 tr^in steamed out of it. 



