MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 317 



Candle in hand, she went softly down to the library, 

 pausing for a moment outside her father's bedroom door. 



*' Hold hard, can't you I " (something inaudible) " Don't you 

 see she wants room ? " came in smothered tones from within. 



The girl smiled and kissed her hand towards the door. 



" Dear old dad ! " she whispered. " I wonder if Johnnie 

 was thinking of me, too." 



She lit the lamp in the library, made up the fire, which 

 still showed signs of vitality, and seated herself in the oak 

 chair at the writing-table. 



It was remarkable that that chair with its heavy carved 

 back, unprepossessing as it was in appearance, conferred 

 more comfort on the occupier than many another upholstered 

 according to the most modern ideas. 



Lavvy got out her hunting diary and wrote : — 



** November 29th. Clear morning, gale and rain later. 

 Nineteen couples and a half mixed. Berryhead ; breakfast 

 and a bagman to follow." 



Then she stopped, laid aside her pen, put her elbows on 

 the table and rested her chin on her hands. A soft light 

 came presently into the brown eyes which were apparently 

 looking at nothing in particular. 



She was evidently thinking aloud when she said : — 



" Dear old Jack ! How faithful and good he has been, 

 never worrying me as he might have done (I wonder if I 

 should have been worried ?), never getting cross, just the 

 same as when I saw him first, only — bother ! I thought 

 Johnnie was too sound asleep to miss me." A gentle 

 scrabble had sounded at the door. 



Lavvy pushed back the chair as she rose, but her bruised 

 knee came in contact with the leg of the writing-table ; in 

 stepping back quickly owing to the pain, she trod on her 

 dressing-gown, overturned the chair, and only saved herself 

 from falling with it by a desperate clutch at the table. 



To her it appeared that the falling chair made noise 

 enough to raise the whole household, but nothing came of 

 it so she opened the door to admit the dog. 



