74 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



Whilst the members of the hunt exercised themselves 

 over their future prospects, three authorities at Cranston 

 Lodge formed opinions of their own — Mr. Hibbert, the stud- 

 groom, Mr. Summers, the kennel huntsman, and Mr. 

 Grimes, the bailiff. It was tacitly agreed that Mr. Abel 

 Hermon, the head-gardener, had no locus standi, because the 

 introduction of " womenfolk " into the arrangement of his 

 department "couldn't make a mossle of difference ". 

 T" Hibbert and Grimes foregathered at Summers' cottage, for 

 the simple reason that the latter was a man who ''kept 

 himself to himself," and neither the stud-groom nor the 

 bailiff could be quite sure of the line the old man would take. 



Each felt that the " triple alliance," if it were secured, 

 would exist, as it were, only on paper. There were 

 jealousies, just as there were perquisites, in the various 

 departments. Hibbert and Summers had one common 

 interest which was bound up in horses and hounds. The 

 stud-groom declared that without good lorses in good con- 

 dition the hunt could not go on. Summers on the other 

 hand could never be induced to look upon a horse as any- 

 thing but a machine to carry him to hounds ; in his best 

 days he never could or would tell you anything about a 

 horse beyond the fact that he was handy, or a persistent 

 refuser, which latter animal nothing would induce him to 

 ride a second time. " A huntsman hasn't time to bother 

 about a horse," he used to say. The dangers of female 

 government were the bailiff's only claim to attend the con- 

 ference. 



It was a fine afternoon, and the bailiff and stud-groom 

 having reconnoitred from a distance and seen the kennel 

 huntsman employed in tying up a rose tree in his garden, 

 decided to approach from opposite directions. The 

 manoeuvre was satisfactory, and each visitor in turn was 

 asked to step in and sit down. There was an air of armed 

 neutrality about Summers ; that was the worst of him, 

 indications either of peace or war were not to be gathered 

 from his weather-beaten, solemn countenance. 



