"That is where I get off," she said. "Indeed," said he; "then perhaps you will engage the country girl whom I intended to hire." "Do you know any one living there," she asked, "who would come to me as nurse-maid?" "I don't know a soul in Romney," said Lodloe; "I never was in the place in my life. I merely supposed that in a little town like that there were girls to be hired. I don't intend to remain in Romney, to be sure, but I thought it would be much safer to engage a girl there than to trust to getting one in the country place to which I am going." "And you thought out all that, and about my baby?" said Mrs. Cristie. "Yes, I did," said Lodloe, laughing. "Very well," said she; "I shall avail myself of your forethought, and shall try to get a girl in Romney. Where do you go when you leave there?" "Oh, I am going some five or six miles from the town, to a place called the 'Squirrel Inn.'" "The Squirrel Inn!" exclaimed Mrs. Cristie, dropping her hands into her lap and leaning forward. "Yes," said Lodloe; "are you going there?" "I am," she answered. Now in his heart Walter Lodloe blessed his guardian angel that she had prompted him to make the announcement of his destination before he knew where this lady was going. "I am very glad to hear that," he said. "It seems odd that we should happen to be going to the same place, and yet it is not so very odd, after all, for people going to the Squirrel Inn must take this boat and land at Romney, which is not on the railroad." "The odd part of it is that so few people go to the Squirrel Inn," said the lady. "I did not know that," remarked Lodloe; "in fact I know very little about the place. I have heard it spoken of, and it seems to be just the quiet, restful place in which I can work. I am a literary man, and like to work in the country." "Do you know the Rockmores of Germantown?" asked Mrs. Cristie. "I never heard of them," he answered. "Well, then, you may as well stay on board this steamboat and go back home in her," said Mrs. Cristie; "if you do not know the Rockmores of Germantown Stephen Petter will not take you into his inn. I know all about the place. I was there with my husband three years ago. Mr. Petter is very particular about the guests he entertains. Several years ago, when he opened the inn, the Rockmores of Germantown spent the summer with him, and he was so impressed with them that he will not take anybody unless they know the Rockmores of Germantown." "He must be a ridiculous old crank," said Lodloe, drawing a camp-chair near to the lady, and seating himself thereon. "In one way he is not a crank," said Mrs. Cristie; "you can't turn him. When he has made up his mind about anything, that matter is settled and fixed just as if it were screwed down to the floor." "From what I had been told," said the young man, "I supposed the Squirrel Inn to be a free and easy place."