else,  one  great  object  would  be  gained,  just  the  same
as  if  I  married  him,  and  he  would  be  saved  from  the
hole  those  two  are  digging  for  him."

"  And  in  that  case,"  said  Mrs.  Cristie,  repressing  a
strong  disposition  to  laugh,  "  what  would  you  do  ?


THE  SQUIRREL  INN.  161

Perhaps  you  would  be  content  to  take  anything  that
might  be  left."

"  I  suppose  you  mean  Mr.  Lodloe,"  said  Ida.  "  Well,
to  speak  plainly,  I  have  never  thought  that  I  had  a
right  to  take  him  into  consideration,  but  if  the  field
were  entirely  open,  I  would  not  hesitate  a  moment  in
preferring  him  to  either  of  the  others."

Now  Mrs.  Cristie  laughed  outright.
"  I  could  never  have  imagined,"  she  said,  "  that  a
young  girl  such  as  you  are  could  have  such  practical
and  business-like  views  about  matrimony."

"Well,"  said  the  nurse-maid,  "I  don't  see  anything
out  of  the  way  in  my  views.  I  want  to  bring  an  in
telligent  judgment  to  bear  upon  everything  I  do,  and
if  the  higher  education  is  of  any  good  at  all,  it  ought
to  help  us  to  regulate  our  affections."

"  I  have  nothing  to  say  on  the  subject,"  said  Mrs.
Cristie,  "except  that  they  did  not  pretend  to  teach
us  that  at  Vassar.  I  don't  see  how  you  can  bring
yourself  to  such  calculations.  But  one  part  of
your  scheme  I  approve  of  highly :  positively  you
ought  to  drop  Lanigan  Beam.  As  to  marrying
Mr.  Tippengray,  that  is  your  affair,  and  his  affair.
And  you  may  be  sure  I  shall  not  interfere  in  any
way."

Ida  looked  at  her  and  smiled.
