298 The Real Charlotte, 



no. Mary Holloran and her own self-respect were alike 

 gratified, and taking up the post-bag she proceeded with it 

 to the dining-room. 



"Well, Norry," said Charlotte jocularly, looking round 

 from the bookshelf that she was tidjang, "is it only now that 

 old thief s brought the post ? or have ye been flirting with 

 him in the kitchen all this time ? " 



Norry retired from the room with a snarl of indescribable 

 scorn, and Charlotte unlocked the bag and drew forth its 

 contents. There were three letters for her, and she laid one 

 of them aside at once while she read the other two. One 

 was from a resident in Ferry Lane, an epistle that began 

 startlingly, " Honored Madman," and slanted over two sides 

 of the note-paper in lamentable entreaties for a reduction of 

 the rent and a little more time to pay it in. The other was 

 an invitation from Mrs. Corkran to meet a missionary, and 

 tossing both down with an equal contempt, she addressed 

 herself to the remaining one. She was in the act of opening 

 it when she caught sight of the printed name of a hotel upon 

 its flap, and she suddenly became motionless, her eyes star- 

 ing at the name, and her face slowly reddening all over. 



"Bray!" she said between her teeth, "what takes him 

 to Bray, when he told me to write to him to the Shel- 

 bourne ? " 



She opened the letter, a long and very neatly written one, 

 so neat, in fact, as to give to a person who knew Mr. 

 Lambert's handwriting in all its phases the idea of very un- 

 usual care and a rough copy. 



" My dear Charlotte," it began, " I know you will be 

 surprised at the news I have to tell you in this letter, and 

 so will many others ; indeed I am almost surprised at it my- 

 self." Charlotte's left hand groped backwards till it caught 

 the back of a chair and held on to it, but her eyes still flew 

 along the hnes. '^ You are my oldest and best friend, and 

 so you are the first I would like to tell about it, and I would 

 value your good wishes far beyond any others that might be 

 off'ered to me, especially as I hope you will soon be my re- 

 lation as well as my friend. I am engaged to Francie Fitz- 

 patrick, and we are to be married as soon as possible.*' 



The reader sat heavily down upon the chair behind her, 



