CHAPTER X. 



" By Jove ! stop a bit ! let me think ! " Charles Badsworth 

 exclaimed, drawing a chair to the table and examining the 

 codicil once more. " I've been casting back ; natural enough 

 with all these pros and cons and conditions about. Yes, it's 

 Lavinia Badsworth pure and simple. Lucky you holloaed, 

 Morgan, though I hate getting their heads up if I can 

 possibly help it. Lavvy could do it no doubt ; she might 

 be a bit slow in getting away from a big covert, but she 

 would be quick enough to learn, and there is nothing down 

 here that would stop her after what she has been used to. 

 She would want the hint to go a bit faster at some of the 

 fences, and it's only a month." 



** There would be the summer exercising and the cubbing," 

 Jack said, not so much by way of throwing cold water on 

 the scheme, as furthering certain vague ideas of rendering 

 assistance. 



''To be sure, she will want to know the hounds and they 

 must know her ; she would know them all in a week," 

 Charles Badsworth said with pride. 



" I suppose, Charles, you are talking of your daughter, my 

 niece," Miss Badsworth said, as one who sees the glimmer 

 of a gas lamp in a fog. 



" Of course," Charles replied, trying to gather the loose 

 ends of the scheme. 



*' Is she — that sort of girl ? " Miss Badsworth asked. 



*' Eh ? What did you say ? Yes, to be sure. Ask 

 Morgan, he has seen her kill her fox." 



" I meant, is she " Miss Badsworth, who was rarely 



at the loss for a word, paused. 



63 



