m. But
don't you worry yourself any more than you can help, and remember my
promise. I'll stick to it, you may count on that."

When Mrs. Cristie had been left to herself she gave enough time to the
consideration of what had been told her to come to the following
conclusion: "She shall not have him; I have made up my mind to that.
Interrupted by Ida! Of course that is at the bottom of it." And having
settled this matter, she relapsed into her former mood, and fell to
thinking what she should do about the sweet-pea blossom.

She thought until the supper-bell rang, and then she rose and with a
pretty smile and flush upon her face, which showed that her thoughts had
not in the least worried her, she put the sweet-pea blossom into a
little jar which she had brought from Florence, and which was just big
enough for one small flower.

At supper Walter Lodloe was very quiet and very polite, and Mrs.
Cristie, who was opposite to him, though not at all quiet, was also very
polite, but bestowed her attention almost entirely upon Mr. Tippengray,
who sat beside her. The Greek scholar liked this, and his conversation
sparkled.

Miss Calthea Rose, who had accepted Mrs. Petter's invitation to spend
the night,--for if ever she was going to do anything at the Squirrel
Inn, this was the time to do it,--did not like Mrs. Cristie's
politeness, and her conversation did not sparkle. In fact she was
quieter than Mr. Lodloe, and paid little heed to the chatter of her
neighbor, Lanigan Beam. This young man was dissatisfied. There was a
place at the table that was sometimes filled and sometimes not filled.
At present it was empty.

[Illustration: MRS. CRISTIE CONSIDERS.]

"I cannot see," said he, speaking to the company in general, "why babies
are not brought to the table. I think they ought to be taught from the
very beginning how to behave themselves at meals."

Mr. Petter fixed his eyes upon him, and, speaking through the young man,
also addressed the company.

"I'm not altogether in favor of having small children at the table,"
said he. "Their food is different from ours, and their ways are often
unpleasant; but I do think--"

"No, you don't," interrupted Mrs. Petter from the other end of the
table--"you don't think anything of the kind. That has all been fixed
and settled, and there's no use in bringing it up again."

Mr. Petter looked at his wife with a little flash in his eye, but he
spoke quietly.

"There are some things,"