324 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



thought it was Charles Badsworth, Alf Diccox told me. Ah, 

 I see, we are talking of different things ; have you really 

 settled it ? Well, I'm tnore glad ; but that will keep and 

 you be none the worse. I hear a Will has been found." 



Jack gave the desired details. 



" Well, to be sure, and exactly what one would have ex- 

 pected of Hugo. What does Miss Badsworth say, and the 

 nephew ? " 



** I think Miss Badsworth is more pleased than any one, 

 and I've had a bad half hour with Bickersdyke ; he seems to 

 think it's a plot of mine and an injustice to himself; he is 

 going to shake off the dust off his feet on us and go abroad, 

 so he says." 



" Well, Jack, I daresay he is disappointed, but he must be 

 the only one in the kingdom who believed in that arrange- 

 ment as final. There is one comfort, the estate won't be 

 wasted on lawyers. I'm glad we sent that petition, though 

 you didn't sign it ; I see now — not that I hadn't some idea 

 before. She's a wonder, that little girl of yours. Now I 

 must go on to Cranston. Come and dine — no, going to 

 Cranston, of course. Well, don't forget to come and see me 

 soon.'* 



" Charles, I congratulate you," were her ladyship's first 

 words. " I used to call you Charlie, but that was long ago, 

 when you never even apologised for pulling my hair down, 

 and I suppose we are older in some ways now." 



So she went on in her genial heartiness, going from one 

 matter to another, but leaving a sense of her nature upon 

 every point she touched. When she was gone there came 

 a pause, a calm, after what had been a breezy time. 



" I hope you will make your home with me, Lavinia," 

 Charles Badsworth said to his sister. ** I shall miss Lavvy 

 when she goes ; but perhaps you will want to go back to 

 London, and " 



" My fads ? No ; I find things different from what I 

 imagined them to be, and I don't grudge poor Hugo his 



