368 The Real Charlotte. 



lingly. " It's very hard to explain these things to you — it's 

 — it's not so unusual as you'd think — and then, before I'd 

 time to get things square again, some infernal mischief- 

 maker has set him on to ask to see the books, and put him 

 up to matters that he'd never have found out for himself." 



" Was he angry ? " she asked, with the quietness that was 

 so unlike her. 



" Oh, I don't know — I don't care — " moving again rest- 

 lessly in his chair ; ** he's such a rotten, cold-blooded devil, 

 you can't tell what he's at." Even at this juncture it gave 

 him pleasure to make little of Christopher to Francie. " He 

 asked me the most beastly questions he could think of, in 

 that d — d stammering way of his. He's to write to me in 

 two or three days, and I know well what he'll say," he went 

 on with a stabbing sigh ; " I suppose he'll have it all over 

 the country in a week's time. He's been to the bank and 

 seen the estate account, and that's what's done me. I 

 asked him plump and plain if he hadn't been put up to it, 

 and he didn't deny it, but there's no one could have known 

 what was paid into that account but Baker or one of the 

 clerks, and they knew nothing about the fines — I mean — 

 they couldn't understand enough to tell him anything. But 

 what does it matter who told him. The thing's done now, 

 and I may as well give up." 



" What will you do ? " said Francie faintly. 



** If it wasn't for you I think I'd put a bullet through my 

 head," he answered, his innately vulgar soul prompting him 

 to express the best thought that was in him in conventional 

 heroics, "but I couldn't leave you, Francie — I couldn't 

 leave you — " he broke down again — " it was for our honey- 

 moon I took the most of the money — " He could not go 

 on, and her whole frame was shaken by his sobs. 



" Don't, Roddy, don't cry," she murmured, feeling cold 

 and sick. 



" He knows I took the money," Lambert went on in- 

 coherently ; " I'll have to leave the country — I'll sell 

 everything — " he got up and began to walk about the 

 room — " I'll pay him — damn him — I'll pay him every 

 farthing. He sha'n't have it to say he was kept waiting for 

 his money ! He shall have it this week ! " 



" But how will you pay him if you haven't the money ? " 



