MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 99 



Though Miss Lavvy was accustomed ta something very 

 much smaller, hound shows and puppy shows, to which she 

 had accompanied her father, together with his own personal 

 views of what made a hound and what did not, had given 

 her a fair insight into points and probabilities. Moreover, 

 when in doubt she knew how to hold her tongue. 



" Third or fourth season? " she asked. 



Summers turned quickly to observe his questioner. She 

 was still looking at the hound, though perfectly aware of the 

 effect of her question. 



" Fifth, more's the pity, but " — curiosity getting the 

 better of his usual laconic manner — "how did you know, 

 ma'am ? " 



" I was looking at his feet." Then, taking advantage of 

 the surprise on the old man's face, " Lend me one of your 

 kennel coats, Mr. Summers, and let us go in and look at 

 them separately ". 



She took down a whip from the kennel door, and that 

 finished Summers off; he led the way towards the boiling 

 house, averting his head to conceal his surprise, and from a 

 peg in a neighbouring room took down a clean linen coat 

 and held it out without a word for Lavvy to insert her arms. 



"A little long in the sleeves," she said, laughing, as she 

 turned up the cuffs, " but a very good fit otherwise." 



Summers wondered that he had lived to see the day which 

 could shine on a woman in a kennel coat, but he unbent 

 somewhat under the sunny influence of his companion. 



Leaving "the Reformer" in charge of a glove, the two 

 proceeded to the kennel. 



As Summers said to his wife later in the day : " She was 

 no more afraid than I was, and I'm blessed if she didn't 

 make friends with Rollicker and Vagrant first going off; 

 she've a wonderful memory for names ". 



To be asked pertinent questions, and hear sensible re- 

 marks from a woman where hounds were concerned might 

 not have surprised Miss Badsworth, but it did surprise Joe 

 Summers, and unwittingly he found himself conversing as 



7* 



