MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 147 



she looked from aunt to niece and then from niece to 

 aunt. Though it was a summer day she rubbed her hands 

 slowly together, then she chuckled softly and murmured 

 "Capital!" 



"What the law will decide is another matter," Miss 

 Badsworth said, and there was something in the calm 

 dignity of her manner and softness of her voice which 

 took Lady Flora's fancy. 



"With the exception of the Nonconformist conscience I 

 know nothing so elastic or one-sided as the law," she said. 

 "In trying to be a *Jack on both sides' it usually tumbles 

 down between the two, and ends by warmly embracing the 

 side upon which you happen not to be. I sincerely hope it 

 will not come to law." 



" I hardly think my nephew will let matters rest," Miss 

 Badsworth said. 



" Um, perhaps not. I must say, my dear, I don't for one 

 moment believe that was Hugo Badsworth's real disposal of 

 his property." 



" Neither do I, Lady Flora," Lavvy exclaimed eagerly, 

 looking up at her uncle's picture. " He must have been much 

 too like dad. Dad would have been quite capable of play- 

 ing off a joke on auntie, but he would have taken care to do 

 no harm." 



" Would he ? That is what I should have expected of 

 Hugo." 



"We have searched everywhere," Lavvy said. 



" Have you looked in his top-boots ? " 



" My brother was most methodical ; all his papers were 

 most carefully arranged," Miss Badsworth remarked. 



** To be sure, my dear ; but people do odd things with 

 Wills, put them in safe places and forget where they are ; 

 why they should be ashamed of making a Will I don't know, 

 but people are, and some are superstitious. Now I come to 

 think of it, I can't remember where mine is ; but Hugo's will 

 turn up. Whatever else he did he wouldn't have played the 

 fool with the hounds; forgive me, you know what I mean. 



10 * 



