MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. i6i 



At Casselton Common, where they had resumed a foot 

 pace once more, Ned Barlow looked round and asked : — 



" Across the common, mum ? " 



Lavvy nodded, and Ned held open the gate. 



" Come along, Mrs. Dickinson, there is some good sound 

 turf here," Lavvy said sweetly, blew her horn and cantered 

 away in front with the two whips following in rear of the 

 pack. The Banker shook his head and went also, with Mrs. 

 Dickinson clinging desperately to the crutch of her saddle. 

 The pony's action was low and easy, but his rider being 

 flurried failed signally to accommodate herself to it ; the 

 faces of the men behind her wore grins. 



To tell the truth, Lavvy forgot all about her companion 

 as she whistled to the leading hounds on either side of her 

 and enjoyed the fresh morning air which met her as she 

 went ; she had been out often enough already to become 

 accustomed to her costume. The new pony had excellent 

 manners and paces. It was pleasant, too, to be off the road, 

 which, though a necessary evil, she disliked as much as did 

 some of the older hounds ; she did not even observe a figure 

 in a tweed suit galloping across the common at an angle to 

 join company further on. 



" Come along ! " she cried ; " a gallop will do you all 

 good ! " and then she shook up her pony so that '* the Re- 

 former " had to stretch himself in order to go the pace. 



The man in the tweed suit gazed admiringly at the smart 

 little figure and easy seat, and watched both pony and rider 

 as they popped over the two dry ditches which here con- 

 verged, in winter carrying off the flood-water from the upper 

 ground beyond ; but then his attention was diverted to a 

 lady in a habit who was decidedly in difficulties. 



The Banker, desirous of being in front, and resenting the 

 unaccustomed hands which hauled at his mouth, and the 

 uncertain position of the burden on his back, took charge 

 and covered the first of the ditches with a bound which 

 would have gone a long way towards clearing a Lincolnshire 

 drain. 



II 



