Miss Calthea made no answer. She gazed out of the window as if she was
mildly impressed with a solicitude for the welfare of her garden. There
flitted into her mind a wavering, indeterminate sort of notion that
perhaps Lanigan was a better fellow than he used to be, and that if she
should succeed in her great purpose it might not be necessary that he
should go away. But still,--and here prudence stepped in front of
kindliness,--if that child's nurse remained in the neighborhood, it
would be safer if Lanigan kept up his interest in her; and if she
ultimately carried him off, that was his affair.

Leaning forward, Miss Calthea took a match from a box on a shelf, and
handed it to Lanigan.

"You may as well smoke if you want to," she said; "it's not likely any
one will be coming in, and I don't object when the window is open."

Gratefully Lanigan lighted his cigar.

"Calthy, this is truly like old times," he said. "And to finish up with
Tippengray, I'll say that if Lodloe and I had not our mind so filled
with our own businesses and projects, I'd get him to go in with me, and
help make up a class; but if I were to do that, perhaps people might say
that all I wanted was to get in with the girls."

Here was a chance for Calthea to give her schemes a little push.

"There is only one girl," she said, "who would be likely to take part in
that sort of thing, and that is the child's nurse at the Squirrel Inn;
but if she really is given to study, I suppose she might help you to
improve your mind, and if you are what you used to be, it will stand a
good deal of improving."

"That's so, Calthy," said Lanigan; "that's so." He was in high good
humor at the turn the conversation had taken, but did his best to
repress his inclination to show it. "It might be well to go in for
improvement. I'll do that, anyway." Lanigan blew out a long whiff of
purple smoke. "Calthy is a deep one," he said to himself; "she wants me
to draw off that girl from the old man. But all right, my lady; you
tackle him and I will tackle her. That suits me beautifully."

At this moment Lodloe entered the shop, and Miss Calthea Rose greeted
him with much graciousness.

[Illustration: "CALTHY, THIS IS TRULY LIKE OLD TIMES."]

"You must have taken a short walk," said Lanigan. "Don't you want to
wait until I finish my cigar? It's so much pleasanter to smoke here than
in the open air. Perhaps Miss Calthea will let you join me."

Lodloe was perfectly willing to