MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 183 



She permitted that lady to air her favourite theories without 

 contravening them. 



*' I wish," Mrs. Dickinson said, just as the wheels of the 

 brougham crushed the gravel by the front door, " I wish we 

 could get you to apply your energetic character to our cause." 



" What cause ? " 



" The equality, not to say superiority, of women to men." 



'* But I couldn't do it, not, at least, with a clear conscience. 

 There is one point upon which a man displays a superiority 

 which no amount of argument can dispel. There is the 

 brougham, you mustn't be late for the train." 



" Tell me, what is the point ? " Mrs. Dickinson asked 

 eagerly as she rose. 



" Will you promise to think it over and try to find a way 

 out ? " 



" Certainly." 



" Pockets. I have seven at least, and there may be more 

 which I have not discovered, in my riding kit (not this one) 

 instead of the miserable one which only a trained pickpocket 

 can find." 



" That could be got over, in fact " 



" Not without adopting one universal costume. Can you 

 fancy yourself in a conventional dress-suit airing yourself on 

 the hearthrug before dinner ? " 



There was a merry gleam in Lavvy's eyes as she contem- 

 plated Mrs. Dickinson's figure, but do what she would that 

 lady could not resent it. "You are frivolous," she said. 



*' Not at all. My opinion at the present moment is, it is 

 better to be a true woman than a sham man ; but you must 

 hurry up. Good-bye." 



Mrs. Dickinson sniffed, for she felt a sense of being 

 worsted, yet somehow Lavvy's words kept recurring to her 

 mind accompanied by the hum of the rubber-tyred wheels. 



Later in the afternoon Lavvy rode over to interview the 

 keeper at Hawkfield, an individual who required careful 

 handling seeing that in him was vested much power of pro- 



