336 The Real Charlotte. 



the hot flash in her eyes, more lovely than he had ever 

 seen her ; " for all I knew of you, you were married already 

 to your English heiress — Miss Coppers, or whatever her 

 name is — I wonder at your impudence in daring to say 

 things like that to me ! " The lift of her head, and the 

 splendid colour in her cheeks would have befitted any 

 angry goddess, and it is not surprising that Hawkins did not 

 take offence at the crudity of the expression, and thought 

 less of the brogue in which it was uttered than of the quiver 

 of the young voice that accused him. 



" Look here," he said, for the second time, but with a 

 new and very different inflection, " don't let us abuse each 

 other any more. I couldn't answer your letters. I didn't 

 know what to say, except to tell you that I was a cad and a 

 beast, and I didn't see much good in doing that. Evi- 

 dently," he added, with a bitterness that was at least half 

 genuine, " it didn't make much difference to you whether I 

 did or not." 



She did not reply, except by a glance that was intended 

 to express more than words could convey of her contempt 

 for him, but somewhere in it, in spite of her, he felt a touch 

 of reproach, and it was it that he answered as he said : 



" Of course if you won't believe me you won't, and it 

 don't make much odds now whether you do or no ; 

 but I think if you knew how — " he stammered, and then 

 went on with a rush — "how infernally I've suffered over 

 the whole thing, you'd be rather sorry for me." 



Francie shaped her lips to a thin and tremulous smile of 

 disdain, but her hands clutched each other under the book 

 in her lap with the effort necessary to answer him. " Oh, 

 yes, I am sorry for you ; I'd be sorry for anyone that would 

 behave the way you did," she said, with a laugh that would 

 have been more effective had it been steadier ; " but I can't 

 say you look as if you wanted my pity." 



Hawkins turned abruptly away and walked towards the 

 door, and then, as quickly, came back to her side. 



" They're coming across the lawn now," he said ; " before 

 they come, don't you think you could forgive me — or just 

 say you do, anyhow. I did behave like a brute, but I never 

 thought you'd have cared. You may say the worst things 

 about me you can think of, if you'll only tell me you forgive 



