Charlotte watched the Tall Lady and the Cat until they went away into a fine , big house further up the garden , then she sighed and went back through the cherry trees to the asylum playground , where the other orphans were playing games . But , somehow , games had lost their flavour compared with those fascinating gaps . It did not take Charlotte long to discover that the Pretty Lady always walked past the northwest gap about one o'clock every day and never at any other time -- at least at no other time when Charlotte was free to watch her ; and that the Tall Lady was almost always in her garden at five in the afternoon , accompanied by the Very Handsome Cat , pruning and trimming some of her flowers . Charlotte never missed being at the gaps at the proper times , if she could possibly manage it , and her heart was full of dreams about her two Ladies . But the other orphans thought all the fun had gone out of her , and the matron noticed her absent-mindedness and dosed her with sulphur and molasses for it . Charlotte took the dose meekly , as she took everything else . It was all part and parcel with being an orphan in an asylum . `` But if the Pretty Lady with the Blue Eyes was my mother , she would n't make me swallow such dreadful stuff , '' sighed Charlotte . `` I do n't believe even the Tall Lady with the Black Eyes would -- though perhaps she might , aunts not being quite as good as mothers . '' `` Do you know , '' said Maggie Brunt , coming up to Charlotte at this moment , `` that Lizzie Parker is going to be adopted ? A lady is going to adopt her . '' `` Oh ! '' cried Charlotte breathlessly . An adoption was always a wonderful event in the asylum , as well as a somewhat rare one . `` Oh , how splendid ! '' `` Yes , is n't it ? '' said Maggie enviously . `` She picked out Lizzie because she was pretty and had curls . I do n't think it is fair . '' Charlotte sighed .
`` Nobody will ever want XXXXX adopt me , because I 've mousy hair and freckles , '' she said .
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