348 The Real Charlotte. 



open a way for her to outside matters from the narrow stress 

 of the moment. 



" Captain Cursiter seems in a great hurry about some- 

 thing," she said, her voice and manner conveying suffici- 

 ently well that she intended to pass on with dignity from the 

 late dispute. " I wonder what he wants." 



" Perhaps we've got the route," said Hawkins, not sorry 

 to be able to remind her of the impending calamity of his 

 departure ; " I shouldn't be a bit surprised." 



They walked down the flight of stone steps, and reached 

 the gate of the wood in silence. Hawkins paused with his 

 hand on the latch. 



^' Look here, when am I going to see you again ? " he 

 said. 



*' I really don't know,** said Francie, with recovered ease. 

 She felt the wind blowing in on her across the silver scales 

 of the lake, and saw the sunshine flashing on Captain 

 Cursiter's oars as he paddled himself ashore from the 

 launch, and her spirits leaped up in " the inescapable joy 

 of spring." *' I should think anyone that goes to church 

 to-morrow will see me there." 



Her glance veered towards his cloudy, downcast face, and 

 an undignified desire to laugh came suddenly upon her. 

 He had always looked so babyish when he was cross, and it 

 had always made her feel inclined to laugh. Now that she 

 was palpably and entirely the conqueror, the wish for further 

 severity had died out, and the spark of amusement in her 

 eye was recklessly apparent when Hawkins looked at her. 



His whole expression changed m a moment. " Then 

 we're friends ? " he said eagerly. 



Before any answer could be given, Christopher and 

 Charlotte came round a bend in the lower path, and even 

 in this moment Francie wondered what it was that should 

 cause Charlotte to drop her voice cautiously as she neared 

 them. 



CHAPTER XLVIL 



It was very still inside the shelter of the old turf quay at 

 Bruff. The stems of the lilies that curved up through its 

 brown-golden depths were visible almost down to the black 



