MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 279 



Jack looked up quickly, and again for some reason the 

 girl smiled before she gave a graphic account of her share 

 of the affair. 



'* I trust Miss Badsworth gave them ' what for/ " Jack 

 said at the conclusion of the narrative. 



" I expect she did. Auntie can be very dignified when 

 she likes, but they were nice, gentlemanly young fellows, and 

 abject in their apologetic state, so she healed their wounds, if 

 she had inflicted any, by giving them tea before they went 

 home." 



" The deuce she did ! Just like her ; it's really hard lines 

 that she should have all this extra annoyance. And what 

 did you do ? " 



" I ? I told them it had nothing to do with me ; and then 

 I quoted Beckford, which had exactly the same effect as if I 

 had quoted from the Koran. I think, Mr. Morgan, they were 

 puzzled with me. They were so surprised to see me clothed 

 and in my right mind (at least that is what their uneasiness 

 suggested), that I imagine when auntie sent them on to me 

 they expected to find the original of * The Foxhunter's Re- 

 turn ' which is in poor uncle's bedroom." 



Jack laughed. " I daresay," he said, with a lively recollec- 

 tion of his own anticipations at Dewthorpe. " Did you give 

 them tea also ? " 



** No. I was very lofty and dignified, and, as I said, 

 quoted from Beckford and showed that the use of a trail 

 after hounds were entered was not advisable. Eventually I 

 was stiffly bowing them out when I noticed they looked so 

 woebegone and ashamed of themselves that I gave in, shook 

 hands with them and told them not to do it again." 



Jack looked at her for a second or two, enchanted by the 

 merry smile called up by reminiscences of her visitors. 

 "Just like you,'' he said. 



" But what else could either auntie or I have done, Mr. 

 Morgan ? Had we been men, we could have stormed and 

 sworn and frightened the poor things, perhaps, but whatever 

 auntie may have once thought of equality, there is little 



