MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 47 



ing by all the public buildings in London, some bad shots 

 as well as good who go pigeon shooting." 



" I don't follow you." 



" No ? Well, you see, a number of those birds, apart 

 from their descendants, have found a refuge and sedulous 

 care such as they never had before ; they escaped, and good 

 came out of evil. Will you take sugar in your tea ? " 



" None, thank you. I never allow myself luxuries," Mrs. 

 Dickinson replied acidly, and for some while silence reigned. 



Miss Badsworth was anxious to get rid of her visitor ; she 

 had a report on the Society for the Abolition of Art Needle- 

 work, and the substitution of Scholarships in Persian His- 

 tory. She had been let in for it by Lady Theodosia Booker, 

 the great antiquary, who, having devised the plan according 

 to her own fads, was clever enough to shelve the work upon 

 some one else. The recollection of this suddenly made Miss 

 Badsworth more cautious. A dinner under the presidency 

 of Sir Cotton Woole on behalf of the Society for Tracing 

 the Ancestry of Waifs and Strays and a conversazione were 

 also down for the evening. 



*' I'm disappointed at your lukewarmness, my dear Miss 

 Badsworth," Mrs. Dickinson said with a sigh as she sipped 

 her tea and eat her muffin with good appetite, and a mouth 

 apparently constituted for the purpose. " I counted upon 

 you ; in fact I asserted at the preliminary meeting with the 

 utmost confidence that you would certainly make one of our 

 number." 



" I am sorry if I appear to hang back, but the truth is I 

 have as much or more than I can possibly do ; I am daily 

 considering the necessity of employing a private secretary 

 if I could find the right person," Miss Lavinia said. 



" I imagine I could easily find that for you." 



Mrs. Dickinson was thinking of an impecunious sister 

 who might be coached up in the work. 



" I have not decided. It is often more trouble than 

 enough to look after a secretary. Anyway, I think I should 

 prefer to choose for myself." 



