154 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



An unusual glass of champagne did much. Jack noted it, 

 and when once or twice the conversation took a dangerous 

 turn he made unobserved signals to the butler and plunged 

 bravely, though cautiously, into abstruse matters, as one 

 approaches a ford upon one side of which tradition locates 

 a deep hole but is careful to abstain from stating whether 

 it is above or below the safe track. More than once he was 

 out of his depth and had to resort to compliments upon 

 Mrs. Dickinson's knowledge and experience, which proved 

 acceptable. Finally he supported the lady's expressed views 

 on the inferiority, not to say baseness, of the male sex taken 

 together, by a heartrending tale which he called upon the 

 Vicar to corroborate. That good man had never heard of 

 the circumstances, and the expression on his face gave 

 reason for belief that he was about to state it as a fact. A 

 vigorous kick from Jack bestowed beneath the table, and 

 taking effect below the knee-cap, changed the expression to 

 one of pain and at the same time gave the Vicar his cue, 

 viz., that some sort of acquiescence was required of him. 

 That kick must have reminded him of a certain blow, just 

 above the pad, which had eventually caused him to be run 

 out when playing for his 'Varsity at Lords. It was his 

 partner's fault, for he ought to have known that a short run 

 would be doubtful under the circumstances ; it was ten years 

 ago, but it still rankled. 



So it came about that without in any way compromising 

 himself by vouching for Jack's story, he calmly and good- 

 temperedly took Mrs. Dickinson on, and, being skilled in 

 the choice of his words, managed to prove conclusively that 

 a woman's excellence depended on her undertaking matters 

 for which she was properly qualified. 



Mrs. Dickinson's well-worn arguments in favour of 

 woman's superiority, which were all-sufficient amongst un- 

 thinking people, appeared to rebound from the Vicar each 

 time that he lowered his head in courteous acknowledgment 

 of them, and not once did he permit a shadow of sarcasm to 

 mar the musical qualities of his pleasant voice. 



