MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. ii 



" That's my brother," Mrs. Barlow said with a commen- 

 datory smile at Jack's eulogy. "Our boy went up to learn 

 the business, and then nothing would do but he must go 

 hunting, and now he's whipper-in with the Cranston Hounds, 

 and I blame Jim for it." 



"What, Ned Barlow the second whip ? He's a smart lad, 

 and will get a huntsman's berth one day ; the Squire thinks 

 a lot of him. What a little world it is ! " 



Then the talk rushed into a torrent of give and take ; sport 

 was the thread which ran through it, and even Mrs. Barlow's 

 scruples and suggestion that Ned would have done better to 

 stick to his uncle were undermined by the tide of enthusiasm. 



"Well, sir, you were asking but now what people did," 

 Mr. Barlow said presently, having returned from the yard, 

 whither he had been summoned by the ostler. " If I don't 

 mistake you wanted to know what you was to do. You 

 should go to Rockwell cross roads and see the Squire's 

 harriers, it's about the last of the season, and maybe it's 

 time it was ; but anyway you'll see as pretty a pack as is to 

 be found in England. It's true they mayn't be turned out 

 as you're used to see them, but for doing their work they'd 

 be hard to beat." 



" Who is the Squire, as you call him ? " 



" Mr. Charles Badsworth, We always call him the Squire, 

 for he's the country gentleman all over; he isn't a rich man 

 by any means, but he's bound to have sport like all the 

 family, and he and Miss Lavvy they shows it. He's brother 

 to your Mr. Badsworth up in Dumpshire ; I've heard they 

 didn't get on, but there, that often happens in families. 

 Squire Badsworth here was abroad a bit, and made some 

 money, not much they say, and married ; but foreign lands 

 weren't made for Badsworths by no manner of means, so he 

 just settled here and does a bit of farming. He's in the 

 town here on market days as regular as the almanac, and 

 knows every one hereabout, and a right good friend he can 



be. I wish " Tom Barlow broke off as another person 



entered the bar. 



