174 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



you to drink the health of all those to whom, as I have said, 

 we are so deeply indebted." 



Mrs. Dickinson writhed mentally. If Miss Badsworth had 

 suddenly received the gift of tongues, she (Mrs. Dickinson) 

 could not have been more astonished or ignorant of her 

 hostess's meaning. 



Miss Badsworth left her seat, and, followed by the butler 

 bearing handsome silver cups upon a tray, presented them 

 personally to the prize winners. 



" Do you mean to say that people actually take the trouble 

 to teach these precious dogs to walk ? " she asked Jack 

 Morgan. 



" To be sure ; and those who walk fastest win the prizes ; 

 that's the difference between what we call a fast pack and a 

 slow pack ; when they come in they are handed over to the 

 professional fox-catchers. They are humble descendants of 

 the old gladiators who fought with beasts at Ephesus and 

 elsewhere. I expect they would be afraid of lions and 

 things, but when they are well mounted they are a pretty 

 good match for the fox." 



" I think it's dreadfully cruel, when — no ; no more wine, 

 thank you." 



" You must let me put a little in your glass, these people 

 would be terribly offended if you drank their health without 

 that ceremony," Jack said, duly filling up the lady's glass. 



Lady Flora Parkfield claimed the privilege, as it was a 

 ladies' day, of being the first to respond ; and amongst other 

 things told the company, to the astonishment of Mrs. Dickin- 

 son, that she had had the honour in her time of walking 

 twenty-seven couples of puppies for the Cranston Hunt, and 

 had had the good fortune to lose but two couples by dis- 

 temper and one hound by an accident, whereat the cheering 

 was renewed. 



Mr. Ogden-Hooper returned thanks for the judges, paying 

 some neat compliments to Miss Badsworth (meaning her 

 niece) ; and his colleagues, standing awkwardly the while, 

 being no orators, sat down promptly during the rounds of 



