144 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



impressed by the clever way in which her aunt evaded 

 questions and kept her own counsel. 



It was not until the visit of Lady Flora Parkfield that the 

 plan of campaign was modified. The old lady drove herself 

 over in her phaeton and was ushered into Miss Badsworth's 

 presence in a whirlwind fashion of her own. 



"These motors, my dear," she exclaimed, holding out 

 both hands, "will be death, destruction and ruin to us and 

 everything else. You know that narrow place, just beyond 

 your lower lodge gate, with the sharp corner (I told your 

 poor brother dozens of times he ought to alter the road, and 

 he used to say he kept it as it is because his friends were so 

 proud of driving or being driven round it by their coachmen 

 after dinner without mishap, it was, in fact, a sort of county 

 test of sobriety), well, just there I met Toby Sorter (Sir 

 Gregory's only son, you know ; no more right to possess a 

 motor, though perhaps it's hired, than I have to wear the 

 Queen's crown, for his father hasn't sixpence to spend, or 

 says he hasn't) and Mrs. Sandhurst (people have a lot to 

 say about her, but I don't believe there is a bit of harm in 

 the woman), just like two babies, trying to see how fast the 

 thing would go before it killed them. My cobs are sensible 

 creatures enough, but it's too much to expect of well-bred 

 animals not to notice a rattling, smelly machine coming at 

 twenty miles an hour, with two people who looked as if they 

 were a cross between Nansen and a polar bear with a touch 

 of Guy Fawkes thrown in. There's a ditch on the near side 

 (I made Hugo promise to have it filled in, but, poor man, 

 he died before it was done), and — well, I'm here as you see, 

 but it was only by God's mercy and the skin of my teeth. I 

 didn't call before because I know what's what in the country, 

 and you wouldn't want an old woman fussing about when 

 you were busy; but I've just looked in to say I sympathise 

 with you thoroughly, and if I can be of any use, command 

 me. I've lived for years amongst honest folk, thieves, 

 robbers and shams — plenty of shams. I get ' sucked in,' as 

 Jack Morgan says, now and again, but not often, and then 



