MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 225 



cult to get her to take advice, she has got an opinion of her 

 own and likes having her own way." 



" It's Lavvy all over, but she'll alter all that by-and-by. 

 I suppose my aunt didn't take any part in the hunting ? " 



** No ; but she was out and seemed inclined to look after 

 things. That chap Morgan seems to have got her ear." 



'* Ah, damn him, he'll have to clear out pretty soon ; we 

 shall have to wait till November, and the first day on which 

 my aunt fails to hunt the hounds I shall come down on the 

 lot with an injunction or something." 



" I wish you would have another try to get me a bit 

 nearer the work, Bickersdyke. It will be rather hard to 

 have it suddenly thrown on my hands." 



"You'll have to put up with that. I've had one snub, and 

 I'm not taking any more just now. I shall lie low." 



Majendie muttered something about a fool and his folly, 

 but Victor took no notice. 



It was not all gold that glittered. Lavvy worked hard ; 

 five days a fortnight enabled her to visit a good many 

 coverts and stir up their inhabitants. There were the good 

 days and bad days, days with scent and days with none, 

 windy days and wet days. So far she was lucky, her horses 

 turned out well, and as yet she had only two falls to her 

 credit, though Ned Barlow had been laid by for a week. 

 Gradually the time of meeting approached a reasonable hour, 

 and as October came in, ten o'clock became the time named 

 on the card. 



Miss Badsworth found her place in the field anything but 

 a sinecure. Curiosity began to bring people out from all 

 directions. Even under Jack Morgan's pilotage the master 

 frequently failed to be up at the critical moment, and more 

 than once Miss Lavvy lost her fox as much by the over- 

 riding of hounds as by error of judgment on her part. 



It must not be supposed that there was any deliberate 

 intention of annoying the lady huntsman, but partly because 

 of the novelty thf re was a desire to observe the girl closely, 



15 



