288 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



have been foolish enough to lay thirty-four couples of hounds 

 on the line of a fox in the snow." 



" No, ma'am, no ; though there would be few men who 

 would have had the courage." 



" Or the ignorance ? " 



" P'r'aps; but what I meant was you'd have had the making 

 of a huntsman." 



" And haven't I got it ? " laughing. 



" Yes, ma'am ; you seem born to it, but " (the old man 



looked about for some words to soften his remarks) " it ain't 

 your place — excuse me, ma'am, you're too good for it." 



Lavvy thought that probably many years had passed since 

 the kennel huntsman had paid a compliment without qualify- 

 ing it. She raised her cap and said laughingly : — 



" Thank you. Summers, I don't know that I can accept 

 all that, but I do know that you mean what you say." 



** Well, ma'am, if you won't take it amiss, don't forget 

 the snow will soon be through them boots." 



Now, had Miss Lavinia Badsworth, the younger, been 

 aware that Victor Bickersdyke was awaiting her return in 

 the library, she would have gone to her room by another 

 route and changed her costume before she awarded him an 

 interview. It was her custom, however, to make use of a 

 side door, as her uncle had done before her (a " bolt hole," he 

 called it), and so it came about that she entered the library 

 to deposit her whip and horn, and suddenly became aware 

 of her cousin's presence. 



Her first impulse was to retire precipitately, but there was 

 a smile on Victor's face which had the suspicion of a con- 

 temptuous sneer in it ; being a Badsworth that decided the 

 matter at once. 



" Good morning, Victor," she said ; " I've only just got 

 back from exercise." 



" So I should presume," he replied, eyeing the little 

 figure in the unconventional garments in a way which put 

 Miss Lavvy's hackles up. 



