he said, "that can be unfixed and unsettled."

Mrs. Cristie hastened to stop this discussion.

"As I own the only baby in the house," she said, with a smile, "I may as
well say that it is not coming to the table either by itself or in any
other way."

A thought now tickled Mr. Tippengray. Without any adequate reason
whatever, there came before him the vision of an opossum which he once
had seen served at a Virginia dinner-table, plump and white, upon a
china dish. And he felt almost irresistibly impelled to lean forward and
ask Mr. Lodloe if he had ever read any of the works of Mr. Jonathan
Carver, that noted American traveler of the last century; but he knew it
wouldn't do, and he restrained himself. If he had thought Lodloe would
understand him he would have made his observation in Greek, but even
that would have been impolite to the rest of the company. So he kept his
joke to himself, and, for fear that any one should perceive his
amusement, he asked Mrs. Petter if she had ever noticed how much finer
was the fur of a cat which slept out of doors than that of one which had
been in the house. She had noticed it, but thought that the cat would
prefer a snug rug by the fire to fine fur.

Calthea Rose said little and thought much. It was necessary that she
should take in every possible point in the situation, and she was doing
it. She did not like Mrs. Cristie's attention to Mr. Tippengray, because
it gave him pleasure, and she did not wish that other women should give
him pleasure; but she was not jealous, for that would have been absurd
in this case.

But the apparent state of feeling at the table had given her an idea.
She was thinking very bitterly of Mrs. Cristie, and would gladly do
anything which would cause that lady discomfort. There seemed to be
something wrong between her and Mr. Lodloe, otherwise the two lovers
would be talking to each other, as was their custom. Perhaps she might
find an opportunity to do something here. If, for instance, she could
get the piqued gentleman to flirt a little with her,--and she had no
doubt of her abilities in this line,--it might cause Mrs. Cristie
uneasiness. And here her scheme widened and opened before her. If in
any way she could make life at the Squirrel Inn distasteful to Mrs.
Cristie, that lady might go away. And in this case the whole problem
that engrossed her would be solved, for of course the maid would go with
the mistress.

Calthea's eyes brightened, and wi