surroundings, he
would have turned back, had he not suddenly heard voices not far away.
He stopped and listened.

The voices came from behind a clump of evergreens close by the roadside,
and to his utter amazement Mr. Tippengray heard the voice of Lanigan
Beam saying to some one that true love must speak out, and could not be
silenced; that for days he had been looking for an opportunity, and now
that it had come she must hear him, and know that his heart was hers
only, and could never belong to anybody else. Then the voice of Ida
Mayberry, very clear and distinct, replied that he must not talk to her
in that way, that her line of life and his were entirely different. And
she was doubtless going to say more, when her companion interrupted, and
vowed with all possible earnestness that whatever line of life she chose
should be his line; that he would gladly give up every plan and purpose,
follow her in whatever direction she chose to lead, and do whatever she
wished he should do.

Mr. Tippengray was very uneasy. The subject-matter of the conversation
he was overhearing disturbed him in a manner which he did not
understand, and he felt, moreover, that it was not proper for him to
listen to another word. He did not know what to do; if he moved forward
they would hear the wheels, and know that he had been near, and if he
attempted to back out of the vicinity there was no knowing what hubbub
he and Hammerstein might create. While standing undecided, he heard
Lanigan speak thus:

"And as for Greek, and that sort of thing, you shall have all you want.
I'll hire old Tippengray by the year; he shall be the family pedagogue,
and we'll tap him for any kind of learning we may happen to want."

Instantly all thought of retreat fled from the mind of the scholar; his
eyes glittered, and he was on the point of doing something, when there
came from a little distance the voice of Mrs. Cristie, loudly calling
for Ida. There was shuffling of feet, and in a few moments Mr.
Tippengray perceived the nurse-maid rapidly walking away between the
trees while Lanigan leisurely followed.

With head erect and nostrils dilated, as if he had been excited by the
perception of something upside down, Mr. Tippengray again laid hold of
the bridle of Hammerstein, and went on. In a few minutes he emerged upon
an open space, through which flowed a little brook, and where sat Mrs.
Cristie, Lodloe, Ida Mayberry with the baby in her lap, and Lanigan
Beam.