4 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



Hugo detected a tone which implied that his sister did not 

 think it worth her while to argue with a prejudiced person. 

 Again he resented it. " Why don't you come down to the 

 country and find something to do ? You used to get along 

 pretty well when hounds ran. Up here you have got to 

 make work. It's the wrong principle to go on ; human 

 beings were meant to do work not to manufacture it." 



Hugo Badsworth gradually stoked himself up, and his 

 sister, irritated under her calm exterior, returned shot for 

 shot. Presently she brought on the climax. 



" The fact is, Hugo, you men imagine yourselves to be 

 alone capable of understanding your fellow human beings," 

 she said. 



•* Not at all ; many of them, especially females, are utterly 

 unfathomable. Only a fortnight ago a ruffian was before the 

 bench for knocking his wife about; she took out the summons, 

 mind you, and because we decided to give him as much time 

 as we could to think matters over in the intervals of his 

 compulsor}' work, the woman abused us like pickpockets." 



*' Poor soul, I daresay her conscience told her that she 

 had provoked the assault/' Miss Badsworth said medita- 

 tively. 



" Very likely, just what I say ; she couldn't arrive at that 

 conclusion beforehand, so she had to do it post facto. Very 

 few women have heads for business, Lavinia, you may take 

 your oath to that," 



'' Indeed, I shall do nothing of the kind. It seems to me 

 that men make mountains out of every little molehill that 

 comes in their way and call it business. I suppose that is 

 what has brought you to town." 



" That and the frost, yes," Hugo said shortly. 



" Well, I hope you will do it and not talk about it." 



" I should like to see you get through half what I do in a 

 day." 



" I daresay I should do it if I had to." 



" Do you ? Well, I'll say good night before we quarrel." 



He said adieu and departed to his club. The air was 



