The Real Charlotte. 297 



the size of I don't know what on her likeness that he have 

 shtuck out on the table." 



Mary HoUoran broke off like a number of a serial story, 

 with a carefully interrupted situation, and sipped her tea 

 assiduously. Norry advanced slowly from the fireplace with 

 the poker still clutched in her hand, and her glowing eyes 

 fixed upon her friend, as if she were stalking her. 



'* For the love o' God, woman ! " she whispered, " is it 

 Miss Francie ? " 



" Now ye have it," said Mary HoUoran. 



Norry clasped her hands, poker and all, and raised them 

 in front of her face, while her eyes apparently communed 

 with a familiar spirit at the other end of the kitchen. They 

 puzzled ]Mary HoUoran, who fancied she discerned in them 

 a wild and quite irrelevant amusement, but before further 

 opinions could be interchanged, a dragging step was heard 

 at the back door, a fumbling hand lifted the latch, and Billy 

 Grainy came in with the post-bag over his shoulder and an 

 empty milk-can in his hand. 



" Musha, more power to ye, Billy ! " said Mary HoUoran, 

 concealing her disgust at the interruption with laudable good 

 breeding, and making a grimace of lightning quickness at 

 Norry, expressive of the secrecy that was to be observed ; 

 " 'tis you're the grand post-boy ! " 



" Och thin I am," mumbled Billy sarcastically, as he let 

 the post-bag slip from his shoulders to the table, " divil a 

 boot nor a leg is left on me with the thraveUing ! " He 

 hobbled over to the fireplace, and, taking the teapot off the 

 the range, looked into it suspiciously. " This is a quare 

 time o' day for a man to be atin' his breakfast ! Divil dom 

 the bit I'd ate in this house agin' if it wasn't for the nathure 

 I have for the place — " 



Norry banged open a cupboard, and took from it a mug 

 with some milk in it, and a yellow pie-dish, in which were 

 several stale ends of loaves. 



" Take it or lave it afther ye ! " she said, putting them 

 down on the table. " If ye had nathure for risin' airly out 

 o' yer bed the tay wouldn't be waitin' on ye this way, an' if 

 ourselves can't plaze ye, ye can go look for thim that will. 

 * Thim that's onaisy let thim quit ! ' " Norry cared little 

 whether Billy Grainy was too deaf to take in this retort or 



