MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 297 



Smart Woman ' if she happens to be in the neighbourhood. 

 That will — cook her goose, if I am not mistaken." 



'* Don't take to slang, Lavvy." 



" Not if I can help it, auntie, but you must allow my 

 present position to be rather demoralising. I quite pride 

 myself that I haven't sworn yet, for I can well understand 

 that there are circumstances (I expect I have met them 

 myself) where a few strong words with no particular meaning 

 would be an intense relief. However I hear that Captain 

 Majendie has departed, so there is one incentive the less." 



" Is he gone ? Do you think I was too " 



" No, auntie. Lady Flora is responsible, dear old soul." 



Everybody called and many condoled with Miss Badsworth 

 on what they termed the insult of the opening day. As few 

 had managed to get away, and consequently the majority 

 had had no share in the gallop, condolences were the more 

 sincere. Mrs. Silas Tucker, filled with anxiety as to the 

 success of her husband's shooting party, though she under- 

 stood that an affront had been offered, gave it as her opinion 

 that if that method of sport, a drag, were universally adopted, 

 there would be no need of foxes, and no anxiety about their 

 eating all the pheasants. 



The Duchess and Lady Susan were full of indignation, real 

 or feigned, but then their main object was to discover where 

 Miss Badsworth got her silk hat which became her so well. 



Victor Bickersdyke laid the conditions of his uncle's Will 

 before a London solicitor with a view to obtaining counsel's 

 opinion thereon. Mr. Forbes, of the firm of Forbes, Drencher 

 & Forbes, sent Victor away under the impression that matters 

 favoured the other side, though he did not put it in so many 

 words. 



Charles Badsworth interviewed Messrs. Bailey with a 

 view to rebutting his nephew's claim. Mr. Bailey, senior, 

 dwelt strongly on the fact that one Lavinia Badsworth 

 being specially mentioned in the first part of the codicil, it 

 would be difficult to prove that another was referred to in 

 what he called the November clause. 



