ns who did not
possess this acquaintanceship.

This rule was very effectual in preventing the crowding of his house,
and, indeed, there were summers when he had no guests at all; but this
did not move Stephen Petter. Better an empty house than people outside
the pale of good society.

VI

THE GREEK SCHOLAR

Mrs. Cristie and her baby were warmly welcomed by Stephen Petter and his
wife. They had learned during her former visit to like this lady for
herself, and now that she came to them a widow their sentiments towards
her were warmer than ever.

Mrs. Petter wondered very much why she had come without a maid, but
fearing that perhaps the poor lady's circumstances were not what they
had been she forbore to ask any immediate questions. But in her heart
she resolved that, if she kept her health and strength, Mrs. Cristie
should not be worn out by that child.

The young widow was charmed to find herself once more at the Squirrel
Inn, for it had been more like a home to her than any place in which she
had lived since her marriage, but when she went to her room that night
there was a certain depression on her spirits. This was caused by the
expected advent on the next day of Mr. Lodloe and a wagon-load of
candidates for the nurse-maidship.

The whole affair annoyed her. In the first place it was very awkward to
have this young man engaged in this service for her; and now that he was
engaged in it, it would be, in a manner, under her auspices that he
would arrive at the Squirrel Inn. The more she thought of the matter the
more it annoyed her. She now saw that she must announce the coming of
this gentleman. It would not do for him to make a totally unexpected
appearance as her agent in the nurse-maid business.

But no worry of this sort could keep her awake very long, and after a
night of sound and healthful sleep she told her host and hostess, the
next morning at breakfast, of the Mr. Lodloe who had kindly undertaken
to bring her a nurse-maid.

"Lodloe," repeated Mr. Petter. "It strikes me that I have heard the
Rockmores mention that name. Is it a Germantown family?"

"I really do not know," answered Mrs. Cristie; "he is from New York."

Here she stopped. She was of a frank and truthful nature, and very much
wished to say that she knew nothing whatever of Mr. Lodloe, but she was
also of a kindly and grateful disposition, and she very well knew that
such a remark would be an extremely detrimental one to the