The Rial Charlotte. 36 1 



an idea of further and fuller renunciation occurring to her. 

 Turning, she called to the figure stooping among the glossy 

 rows of spinach to desire that the parlour-maid should say 

 that this afternoon she was not at home. Had Eliza 

 Hackett then and there obeyed the order, it is possible that 

 many things would have happened differently. But fate is 

 seldom without a second string to her bow, and even if 

 Francie's message had not been delayed by Eliza Hackett's 

 determination to gather a pint of green gooseberries before 

 she went in, it is possible that Hawkins would, none the less 

 have found his way to the top of the shrubbery, where 

 Francie was sewing with the assiduity of Penelope. It was 

 about four o'clock when she heard his step coming up the 

 devious slants of the path, and she knew as she heard it 

 that, in spite of all her precautions^ she had expected him. 

 His manner and even his look had nothing now in them of 

 the confident lover of last year ; his flippancy was gone, and 

 when he began by reproaching her for having hidden from 

 him, his face was angry and wretched, and he spoke like a 

 person who had been seriously and unjustly hurt. He was 

 more in love than he had ever been before, and he was 

 taking it badly, like a fever that the chills of opposition were 

 driving back into his system. 



She made excuses as best she might, with her eyes bent 

 upon her work. 



" I might have been sitting in the drawing-room now," 

 he said petulantly ; " only that Miss Mullen had seen you 

 going off here by yourself, and told me I'd better go and 

 find you." 



An unreasoning fear came over Francie, a fear as of 

 something uncanny. 



" Let us go back to the house," she said ; " Charlotte 

 will be expecting us." She said it to contradict the thought 

 that had become definite for the first time. " Come ; I'm 

 going in." 



Hawkins did not move. *' I suppose you forget that 

 this is Wednesday, and that I'm going on Saturday," he re- 

 plied dully. " In any case you'll not be much good to 

 Charlotte. She's gone up to pack her things. She told 

 me herself she was going to be very busy, as she had to 

 start at six o'clock." 



