e he fought out the unequal
struggle alone.

"No," she said, "I should much rather stay here."

"As you like," said Stirling, who shortly afterward departed for the
city.

Mrs. Frisingham was a rich widow and a distant connection of
Stirling's. She arrived that day, and on the following day contrived
to spend a few minutes alone with Stirling when he came home from
business.

"I wanted to take Ida back with me, and I'm a little astonished that
she won't hear of it," she said.

"In that case, I'm afraid the notion can't be carried out," said
Stirling.

"Isn't it rather a pity?" suggested the lady.

Stirling seemed to consider this. The two were old friends, in spite
of the fact that Mrs. Frisingham, who now and then spent a few weeks
in Montreal, had made several determined attempts to regulate the
contractor's domestic affairs. She described him to her friends as
pig-headed, and added that if it had not been for his daughter she
would have given up all idea of making him listen to reason. Stirling,
on his part, said that she no doubt had excellent intentions, but so
had a good many people who contrived to make a considerable amount of
unnecessary trouble.

"I wonder why you want her at New York?" he asked.

He had, as his companion was aware, a somewhat Unpleasant habit of
going straight to the point, but on this occasion she was disposed to
meet him.

"Do you mind telling me what you mean to do with the girl?"

"No," said Stirling. "I want to keep her with me just as long as she's
willing to stay; but I suppose I can stand it if she marries somebody
by and by."

"That," said the lady, "is just the point. You would naturally prefer
him to be an eligible person. Now, if you let me have her for a while
I could promise that she would meet nobody who didn't answer that
description."

Stirling laughed. He had suspected her intention all along, and
surmised that her offer was prompted partly by good-nature and partly
by a recognition of the fact that the presence of a young woman of
considerable wealth, who was beautiful as well as otherwise gifted,
would increase the popularity of the receptions over which she was
fond of presiding.

"I'm not quite sure her views and yours would coincide," he said.
"Anyway, she has been in New York before--and in England, for that
matter."

Mrs. Frisingham adroitly shifted her point of attack, and it almost
appeared, though Stirling could not tell how, that she had hea