Vickie is injured in the hallway of a hotel where she was a guest. The owner of the hotel is not able to pay Vickie any damages for her injuries. The franchisor denies that it and the hotel owner have a principal-agent relationship, because the franchisor wants to avoid liability as a principal for the actions of an agent. If a court were to award her damages to Vickie from the franchisor, the most likely agency relationship between the franchisor and the hotel operator would be an agency by _______ . (one word that must be spelled correctly)