MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 143 



"We are in an original position, auntie. It's an age of 

 labour-saving appliances ; we must save ourselves all we 

 can, and that is one way. Then dad says you must not be 

 at home and at every one's beck and call, including people 

 with claims, except at a fixed time — say, half-past nine 

 till half-past ten ; you must make no promises, but keep a 

 bottle of sherry in the business-room cupboard, that, he 

 says, will speed the parting guest ; and you must ride over 

 and investigate things for yourself; he advises you to buy 

 an active cob, which Tom Barlow recommends, for thirty 

 pounds, and go everywhere, there is nothing like it to keep 

 people up to the mark of truth. There is dad's letter, 

 auntie." 



Lavvy handed the lengthy missive to her aunt, and Miss 

 Badsworth read it carefully. 



''Your father does not appear to take a very high esti- 

 mate of agriculturist probity," she said, as she handed the 

 letter back. 



" They are brought up and live and thrive or fail on 

 bargains, auntie; it's only a matter of degree between them 

 and other folk, I expect, Mrs. Dickinson & Co., for instance. 

 You were a great deal too good for that lot, auntie, and dad 

 only wants to save your good nature from being imposed 

 upon. We are certain to be let in, as he calls it, somewhere, 

 but we may as well keep our eyes open." 



Miss Lavvy wisely closed her aunt's lips with a kiss, and 

 that lady found it impossible to be cross with her. In fact 

 before many days had passed she found that method was so 

 valuable an ally in resolving order out of chaos that she 

 began to take to it as keenly as the schemes which she had 

 previously adopted. 



Of course people called, and some went so far as to con- 

 dole with Miss Badsworth upon the awkward position in 

 which she must find herself. This they did, doubtless, with 

 the intention of finding out for themselves the foundation of 

 certain rumours which pervaded the neighbourhood. 



Lavvy, who was introduced as " my niece, Lavinia," was 



