"Do they talk?" Mrs. Cameron asked quickly, while in her gray eyes there gleamed a light far more dangerous and threatening to Helen than Juno's open scorn.
Mrs. Cameron had long intended Mark Ray for her daughter, and accustomed to see everything bend to her wishes, she had come to consider the matter as almost certain, even though he had never proposed in words. He had done everything else, she thought, attending Juno constantly and frequenting their house so much that it was a standing joke for his friends to seek him there when he was not at home or at his office. Latterly, however, there had been a change, and the ambitious mother could not deny that since Helen's arrival in New York Mark had visited them less frequently and stayed a shorter time, while she had more than once heard of him at her son's in company with Helen. Very rapidly a train of thought passed through her mind; but it did not manifest itself upon her face, which was composed and quiet as she decided with Juno that Helen should not trouble them. With the utmost care Juno arrayed herself for the party, thinking with a great deal of complacency how impossible it was for Helen Lennox to compete with her in point of dress.
"She is such a prude, I daresay she will go in that blue silk with the long sleeves and high neck, looking like a Dutch doll," she said to Bell, as she shook back the folds of her rich crimson, and turned her head to see the effect of her wide braids of hair.
"I am not certain that a high dress is worse than bones," Bell retorted, playfully touching Juno's neck, which, though white and gracefully formed, was shockingly guiltless of flesh.
There was an angry reply, and then wrapping her cloak about her Juno followed to their carriage, and was ere long one of the gay crowd thronging Sybil Grandon's parlors. Helen had not yet arrived, and Juno was hoping she would not come, when there was a stir at the door and Mrs. Banker, in her velvet and diamonds, appeared, and with her Helen Lennox, but so transformed that Juno hardly knew her, looking twice ere she was sure that the beautiful young lady, so wholly self-possessed, was indeed the country girl she affected to despise.
"Who is she?" was asked by many, who at once acknowledged her claims to their attention, and as soon as practicable sought her acquaintance, so that Helen suddenly found herself the center of a little court of which she was the queen and Mark her sworn knight.
Presuming upon his mother's chaperonage, he claimed the right of attending her, and Juno's glory waned quite as effectually as it had done when Katy was the leading star to which New York paid homage.
Juno had been annoyed then, but now fierce jealousy took possession of her heart as she watched the girl whom all seemed to admire, even Wilford feeling a thrill of pride that the possession of so attractive a sister-in-law reflected credit upon himself.
He was not ashamed of her now, nor did he retain a single thought of the farmhouse or Uncle Ephraim as he made his way to her side, standing protectingly at her left, just as Mark was standing at her right, and at last asking her to dance.
With a heightened color Helen declined, saying frankly: