The Real Charlotte. 299 



her colour fading from red to a dirty yellow as she read on. 

 " I am aware that many will say that 1 am not showing proper 

 respect towards poor dear Lucy in doing this, but you, or any 

 one that knew her well, will support me in saying that I 

 never was wantmg in that to her when she was alive, and 

 that she would be the last to wish I should live a lonely and 

 miserable life now that she is gone. It is a great pleasure to 

 me to think that she always had such a liking for Francie, for 

 her own sake as well as because she was your cousin. It was 

 my intention to have put off the marriage for a year, but I 

 heard a couple of days ago from Robert Fitzpatrick that the 

 investment that Francie's Httle fortune had been put into was 

 in a very shaky state, and that there is no present chance of 

 dividends from it. He offered to let her live with them as 

 usual, but they have not enough to support themselves. 

 Francie was half starved there, and it is no place for her to 

 be, and so we have arranged to be married very quietly down 

 here at Bray, on the twentieth — ^just a week from to-day. I 

 will take her to London, or perhaps a little further for a week 

 or so, and about the first or second week in April I hope to 

 be back in Rosemount. I know, my dear Charlotte, my 

 dear old friend, that this must appear a sudden and hasty 

 step, but I have considered it well and thoroughly. I know 

 too that when Francie left your house there was some trifling 

 little quarrel between you, but I trust you will forget all 

 about that, and that you will be the first to welcome her 

 when she returns to her new home. She begs me to say 

 that she is sorry for anything she said to annoy you, and 

 would write to you if she thought you would like to hear 

 from her. I hope you will be as good a friend to her as you 

 have always been to me, and will be ready to help and ad- 

 vise her in her new position. I would be greatly obliged to 

 you if you would let the Lismoyle people know of my marri- 

 age, and of the reasons that I have told you for hurrying it 

 on this way ; you know yourself how glad they always are 

 to get hold of the wrong end of a story. I am going to 

 write to Lady Dysart myself. Now, my dear Charlotte, I 

 must close this letter. The above will be my address for a 

 week, and I will be very anxious to hear from you. With 

 much love from Francie and myself, I remain your attached 

 friend, Roderick Lambert." 



