MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 295 



for permission to take a series of photographs of Cranston, 

 etc., which Miss Badsworth received, and Miss Eugenia 

 Spook, " A Smart Woman " in the Lady's Empire, went so 

 far as to enclose a sort of examination paper containing 

 twenty-seven questions, with a request, couched in terms 

 which at once gave the examiner away, that Miss Badsworth 

 would fill it up and return it without delay. 



" I like the woman's impudence," Miss Badsworth said. 



Lavvy regarded her aunt with a droll smile. 



** Let us fill it up, auntie. It's so delightfully vulgar that 

 we might conscientiously say in reply that ' tripe and onions 

 was your favourite food ; your amusements consisted in eat- 

 ing and drinking, quoits, skittles and pig-sticking ; that in 

 order to keep your hand in you invariably accompanied the 

 village butcher'. Only you mustn't send your photograph, 

 you dear." 



" Lavvy, I'm glad to see your cold is really better ; you 

 haven't been in such good spirits since that upset we had on 

 the second." 



** I suppose it's reaction, auntie^ or the ' Homes of Eng- 

 land ' prospect. ' Miss Badsworth at her charming house at 

 Cranston, fully illustrated ! ' ' Ah, here you are ! ' (welcom- 

 ing visitor on front steps. You would have to borrow my 

 kit.) ' This is my workshop ' (with a view of the library). 

 * This is where I do my Sandow's exercises ' (a few ropes 

 and things in the servants' hall). ' Here I keep my top- 

 boots.' * A corner in the larder.' (We might get some hares 

 and sew foxes' brushes on to them and hang them up by their 

 tails with 'yesterday's bag' on a placard.) 'Now I must 

 go hunting; good-bye.' It would be lovely, auntie." 



** You are not often sarcastic, Lavvy," her aunt said, 

 tickled, nevertheless, by her niece's humour. 



" Do you know, auntie, when a man is a snob one rather 

 pities him for knowing no better ; but when a woman ex- 

 hibits the same failing it's forty times worse, besides being 

 irritating, because one feels she must have learnt it on 

 purpose. Another instance of inequality to my mind, and 



