94 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



" He is a clever young man when he likes to take the 

 trouble to be so ; but now I come to think of it, he seems 

 born for better things." 



" What do you mean, child ? " 



'* When he talks — I don't know that he is exactly discon- 

 tented — he leaves the impression that the world has used 

 him very badly. If he had his rights his position would be 

 very different." 



♦' What rights ? " 



" You must ask him that, auntie. They vary, but at 

 times he gets so depressed that it makes one quite sad to 

 hear him." 



" Reaction," thought Miss Badsworth ; she had unfortun- 

 ately met with such cases in her own sex, persons who 

 primed themselves for their work and made the excuse that 

 it was to increase their sphere of usefulness. 



" It is very easy to think one's self ill-used if one gives 

 way," she said. " I must say I wasn't impressed with 

 Victor's good qualities." 



" No ? But you didn't see much of him, auntie. He is 

 a frequent visitor at Dewthorpe." 



It was getting late. 



** I think we had better go in," Miss Badsworth said, 

 rising from her chair ; but she felt it her duty to give her 

 niece a word of warning. Young people were necessarily 

 superficial in their views of character. There was a pause 

 before she asked : — 



" Is there anything between you, Lavvy ? " 



"Whom?" 



** You and Victor Bickersdyke." 



Lavvy turned her face away, and Miss Badsworth's heart 

 sank as she thought she observed an uneasy movement of 

 her niece's shoulders. 



The reply came in a low, uneven voice : — 



" Yes, auntie, there is." 



" How long has it been— going on ? " was the anxious 

 inquiry. 



