Publisher's Synopsis
I had taken Mrs. Prest into my confidence; in truth without her I should have made butlittle advance, for the fruitful idea in the whole business dropped from her friendly lips. Itwas she who invented the short cut, who severed the Gordian knot. It is not supposed to bethe nature of women to rise as a general thing to the largest and most liberal view-I meanof a practical scheme; but it has struck me that they sometimes throw off a boldconception-such as a man would not have risen to-with singular serenity. "Simply askthem to take you in on the footing of a lodger"-I don't think that unaided I should haverisen to that. I was beating about the bush, trying to be ingenious, wondering by whatcombination of arts I might become an acquaintance, when she offered this happysuggestion that the way to become an acquaintance was first to become an inmate
