The Real Charlotte. 331 



enough to do it, anyhow. You may remember," he said 

 aloud, " that in the good old times the property was worth 

 just about double what it is now, and a matter of three or 

 four hundred pounds either way made no difference to 

 signify." 



*' D'ye think ye'U be that much short this time ? " 



She darted the question at him with such keenness that 

 Lambert inwardly recoiled before it, though it was the point 

 to which he had wished to bring her. 



" Oh, of course one can't be sure," he said, retreating from 

 his position ; " but I've just got a sort of general idea that 

 I'll be a bit under the mark this time." 



He was instinctively afraid of Charlotte, but in this 

 moment he knew, perhaps for the first time, how much 

 afraid. In theory he believed in his old power over her, 

 and clung to the belief with the fatuity of a vain man, but 

 he had always been uncomfortably aware that she was intel- 

 lectually his master, and though he thought he could still 

 sway her heart with a caress, he knew he could never outwit 

 her. 



** Oh, no one knows better than I do what a thankless 

 business it is, these times," said Charlotte with a reassuring 

 carelessness; "it's a case of 'pull devil, pull baker,' though 

 indeed I don't know under which head poor Christopher 

 Dysart comes. And as we've got on to the sordid topic of 

 money, Roddy, I'm not going to ask yer honour for a re- 

 duction of the rint, ye needn't be afraid — but I've been 

 rather pinched by the expense I've been put to in doing up 

 the house and stocking the farm, and it would be mighty 

 convaynient to nie^ if it would be convaynient to you, to let 

 me have a hundred pounds or so of that money I lent you 

 last year." 



" Well — Charlotte — " began Lambert, clearing his throat, 

 and striking with his stick at the heads of the buttercups, 

 " that's the very thing I've been anxious to talk to you 

 about. The fact is, I've had an awful lot of expense myself 

 this last twelve months, and, as I told you, I can't lay a 

 finger on anything except the interest of what poor Lucy left 

 me — and — er — I'd give you any percentage you like, you 

 know — ? " He broke off for an instant, and then began 

 again. " You can see for yourself what a sin it would be to 



