MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 149 



" Oh, you must have a show, of course, or people will be 

 dissatisfied ; puppies that have been out at walk. It's only 

 a matter of a tent, a good spread, a few dozens of cham- 

 pagne and two or three silver cups. You will have to preside. 

 Miss Badsworth — a woman in the chair for the first time in 

 the memory of man — and they will drink your health and 

 you'll respond, and we'll all come and support you. Two 

 huntsmen from fashionable packs and one gentleman would 

 make the best staff of judges ; the huntsmen would know 

 something, and the gentleman would look as if he did." 



" I see uncle used to have the show early next month," 

 Lavvy said. " I was going to ask auntie about it as soon as 

 Mr. Morgan had marked off the days to be avoided : we are 

 only just settling into working order." 



" That is all right so long as you are prepared for it ; 

 Jack's a reliable man, but you'll have to keep these menfolk 

 at a distance or you'll get mobbed and show no sport." 



" Auntie will be field-master. Lady Flora, and she will 

 see to all that, and do it well, you may depend." 



" I'm learning my business gradually, it seems," Miss 

 Badsworth said reflectively. 



"Whatever happens, don't be soft-hearted, my dear," 

 Lady Flora remarked cheerily. " Look upon all the folk 

 with whom you have to deal as cheats and swindlers, that's 

 what the law does, and it's the only good thing about 

 it ; you'll be more often right than wrong ; that's what I 

 do " (Lady Flora's good-humoured eyes belied her words). 

 " They'll come to you with pathetic tales of woe and apocry- 

 phal losses, but most of them won't stand sifting. You've a 

 good man in Grimes, and Hibbert turns out his horses well, 

 of course he gets dabs in the hand over forage, but they 

 all do that, and Joe Summers is in a class by himself; with 

 them and this little lady (I've heard of the prize butter, my 

 dear, you must come and see my dairy) you will come off 

 with flying colours. They tell me " (this to Lavvy) " you 

 go like steam." 



" Who says so ? " Lavvy asked, smiling. 



