MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 231 



" I've nothing to do with that, young man/' he said. " My 

 orders were clear enough and I expect 'em to be carried out ; 

 you don't suppose I'm going to pay 'undreds for my birds 

 and 'ave 'em driven all over the place by your confounded 

 dogs." 



Lavvy's face flushed all over — she was reminded of her 

 costume — then for the life of her she couldn't conceal another 

 smile as the humorous side of the picture struck her. 



" Don't be angry, sir," she said. " There is no harm 

 done ; hounds weren't in the covert half a minute and there's 

 one fox less to eat your birds as you call them." 



Mr. Tucker had a suspicion that this boy, whoever he was, 

 was laughing at him, and ridicule he couldn't stand. 



" Confound you, you young jackanapes, it's no laughing 

 matter ! If you had your deserts they would be this stick. 

 If you can't manage your blessed 'ounds, take 'em 'ome." 



For one moment Lavvy wished she had belonged to the 

 other sex, and Jack Morgan wished Silas Tucker was his 

 own age. 



" It was the wire," Lavvy said apologetically. <* We had 

 to go a long way round to get to the gates." 



'* I suppose I may have wire if I like. I put it up, and 

 what's more, I paid for it." 



This was perhaps an allusion to the fact that in his neigh- 

 bourhood the two things did not necessarily go together. 



** That doesn't make it any easier to get over on a horse, 

 sir," Lavvy replied ; her temper was getting a little ruffled. 



Mr. Tucker worked himself up, and Jack Morgan thought 

 it might be judicious to put in a word, but something he saw 

 made him change his mind. 



Like many others of his class, Mr. Tucker, finding his 

 vocabulary limited, made use of sundry unseemly expres- 

 sions which made Miss Lavvy bite her lips, turn her back 

 on him and walk slowly towards her horse, whereupon Mr. 

 Tucker rubbed in his remarks by means of vain repetitions. 

 They were suddenly cut short. A blowing horse was pulled 

 up just behind him, and a voice superior to his own told him 



