272 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



Victor was naturally far too selfish to care what happened 

 to Majendie, but he saw in a moment that what had occurred 

 would change what he had been considering an opportune 

 moment into a most unsuitable time. He had a vague idea 

 that the whole country recognised Majendie as a sort of 

 agent of his, and now would be '' up in arms ". 



" You must be a damned fool," he said. 



" Oh, it's a thing often done to make a good day, and no 

 one is any the wiser. It just happened that Hart fell into 

 an old well and the girl found him." 



"Miss Lavinia Badsworth, please." 



"Very good — Miss Lavinia Badsworth; it was well 

 planned, too, for we got the hounds away without her ; but 

 though, of course, I had seen her ride very well, I had no 

 idea she could ride like that. That fellow Morgan, too, 

 piloted her over that brook which looked unjumpable." 



The name of Morgan put Victor off his line, he suddenly 

 remembered that Jack had to be reckoned with. However 

 he asked : — 



" Do they know you had a hand in it ? " 



" They don't know ; and besides Murdock and Browne 

 from the barracks at Mulchester had as much to do with it 

 as I. Of course it depends upon what Bill Hart says. 

 I didn't know he had been discovered by the — by Miss 

 Lavinia till after Badsworth and Morgan had got him out." 



" I wouldn't give much for Hart's honour if he were 

 frightened a bit," Victor said. " To my thinking you will 

 have every one against you. We had better cancel that 

 agreement." 



'* No, thank you, Bickersdyke ; it's an agreement with no 

 loophole. They'll soon forget all about to-day, or look 

 upon it as a joke." 



"They won't," Victor replied shortly, thinking what a 

 fool he had been to put himself in this man's hands. 



"You needn't be cross about it. It's a good day for you. 

 Miss Badsworth took no part in hunting the hounds. If I 

 were you I would get legal advice at once, and an injunction. 



