82 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



ment in the Morning Post setting forth her requirements. 

 The result was rather more confusing than she had antici- 

 pated. After the brief interval of one day the pile of letters 

 on the breakfast table was appalling. Forty-three missives, 

 according to their own showing, emanated from persons 

 fully qualified, as they thought, to fill the post of private 

 secretary to Miss Badsworth. 



Jack Morgan had suggested a man, a clerk from some 

 accountant's office, whose business it would be to keep every- 

 thing posted up to date, and who would be no bother ; but 

 Miss Badsworth's theories sprang up with as many heads 

 as the Hydra of Lerna ; she had proved over and over again 

 to her own satisfaction and that of a sympathetic, if one- 

 sided, audience that a woman was quite as capable as a man, 

 more so, perhaps, and it wasn't in the Badsworth character 

 to go back on its opinion without something more than an 

 ordinary struggle, so Jack Morgan declined the part of 

 Hercules, and said, "Very well, you have every right to do 

 as you please," and Miss Badsworth did so. That pile of 

 correspondence could easily be dealt with, consequently it 

 was laid aside till breakfast was over. 



There was no lack of competent persons ; some enclosed 

 photographs (as if they thought that personal appearance 

 might cover deficiencies), some did not. 



Judging from those who bravely inserted their ages, these 

 ranged from seventeen to sixty ; nearly all were domesti- 

 cated (which to a man would have given the idea of cats). 

 Some were used to the best society, others reduced the 

 charge for their services in consideration of being permitted 

 to move in the higher circles ; some were musical ; some 

 were readers who had studied elocution ; some were good 

 croquet players ; others shone in tennis ; one, the sixty-year- 

 old one, was an adept at ping-pong. 



Miss Badsworth read all the letters and went through the 

 form of tabulating them. 



The portrait of Hugo Badsworth seemed to smile during 

 the lengthy operation. The eyes said : — 



