MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 153 



station breathing threatenings and slaughter, but the very 

 sight of the well-appointed brougham and pair of horses, to 

 say nothing of the smart footman who relieved her of her 

 handbag and cloak upon the platform, moderated her con- 

 fidence, and she felt some diffidence in pointing out as her 

 possession the somewhat seedy travelling box. The rigid 

 backs of the coachman and before-mentioned footman seen 

 through the front windows of the brougham, with their bright 

 livery buttons catching the slanting rays of the sun, the 

 lodge gate with its curtseying keeper, the avenue of trees 

 and finally the house itself, altered Mrs. Dickinson's high- 

 handed plan of campaign. As Jack Morgan would have 

 said, these things took the stuffing out of her, and made her 

 almost wish she had not come. She rallied at the thought 

 that Miss Badsworth would be alone and as good-naturedly 

 yielding as of old ; but when she was ushered into the 

 drawing-room there was someone else, a quiet, unobtrusive 

 girl with short-cut curly hair, whom Miss Badsworth intro- 

 duced as her niece, and who demurely asked if she would 

 take sugar in her tea. The girl's eyes and the set of her 

 chin must have marked her as an opponent, for there was 

 no other clue to the fact, and yet Mrs. Dickinson put her 

 down as such. 



The Vicar, a quiet, common-sense man, of the muscular 

 Christian type, and Jack Morgan, made up the party at 

 dinner. To the latter Lavvy had confided the state of affairs. 



*' I'll look after her/' Jack had replied. " Let me see, 

 she's an advanced, go-as-you-please in clothes sort of party, 



isn't she ? I mean — I beg your pardon — I don't " seeing 



the colour rise in Lavvy's face. 



" What you have got to do is to see that she doesn't 

 worry auntie," Lavvy interrupted, trying to look serious. 



" I'm there, all there ! She shan't have the ghost of a 

 chance, you see ! " Jack exclaimed. 



He was as good as his word. Mrs. Dickinson hadn't a 

 chance of doing more than attempt the conversion of what 

 she called "a very sensible young man ". 



