the field.

After that no one interfered in her arrangement of Helen's room, which,
with far less expense than Mrs. Cameron would have done, she fitted up
so cosily that Wilford pronounced it the pleasantest room in the house,
while Bell went into ecstasies over it, and even Juno might have unbent
enough to praise it, were it not that Mark Ray, who from being tacitly
claimed by Juno was frequently admitted to their counsels, had asked
the privilege of contributing to Helen's room a handsome volume of
German poetry, such as he fancied she might enjoy. So long as Mark's
attentions were not bestowed in any other quarter Juno was comparatively
satisfied, but the moment he swerved a hair's breadth from the line she
had marked out, her anger was aroused; and now, remembering his
commendations of Helen Lennox, she hated her as cordially as one jealous
girl can hate another whom she has not seen, making Katy so
uncomfortable, without knowing what was the matter, that she hailed the
morning of her exit from No. ---- as the brightest since her marriage.

It was a very happy day for Katy, and when she first sat down to dinner
in her own handsome home her face shone with a joy which even the
presence of her mother-in-law could not materially lessen. She would
rather have been alone with Wilford, it is true, but as her choice was
not consulted she submitted cheerfully, proudly taking her rightful
place at the table, and doing the honors so well that Mrs. Cameron, in
speaking of it to her daughters, acknowledged that Wilford had little to
fear if Katy always appeared as much at ease as she did that day. A
thought similar to this passed through the mind of Wilford, who was very
observant of such matters, and that night, after his mother was gone, he
warmly commended Katy, but spoiled the pleasure his commendation would
have given by telling her next, as if one thought suggested the other,
that Sybil Grandon had returned, that he saw her on Broadway, accepting
her invitation to a seat in her carriage which brought him to his door.
She had made many inquiries concerning Katy, he said, expressing a great
curiosity to see her, and saying that as she drove past the house that
morning, she was strongly tempted to waive all ceremony and run in,
knowing she should be pardoned for the sake of Auld Lang Syne, when she
was privileged to take liberties with the Camerons. All this Wilford
repeated to Katy, but he did not tell her how at the words