assing the house, she had presumed upon her privilege as
a sister and brought her in.

For a moment the room turned dark, and Katy felt that she was falling;
it was so sudden, so unexpected, and she so unprepared; but Sybil's
familiar manner soon quieted her, and she was able at last to look fully
at her visitor, finding her not as handsome as she expected, nor as
young but in all other points she had not perhaps been exaggerated.
Cultivated and self-possessed, she was still very pleasing in her
manner, making Katy feel wholly at ease by a few well-timed compliments,
which had the merit of seeming genuine, so perfect was she in the art of
deception, practicing it with so much skill that few saw through the
mask, and knew it was put on.

To Katy she was very gracious, admiring her house, admiring herself,
admiring everything, until Katy wondered how she could ever have dreaded
to meet her, laughing and chatting as familiarly as if the fashionable
woman were not criticising every movement and every act and every
feature of her face, wondering most at the flour upon her hair!

Juno wondered, too, but knowing Katy's domestic propensities, suspected
the truth, and feigning some errand with Phillips, she excused herself
for a moment and descended to the kitchen, where she was not long in
hearing about Katy's queer ways, coming where she was not needed, and
making country puddings after some heathenish aunt's rule.

"Was it Aunt Betsy?" Juno asked, her face betokening its disgust when
told that she was right, and her manner on her return to the parlor very
frigid toward Katy, who had discovered the flour on her hair, and was
laughing merrily over it, telling Sybil how it happened--how cross
Phillips was--and lastly, how "our folks" often made the pudding, and
that was why she wished to surprise Wilford with it.

There was a sarcastic smile upon Sybil's lip as she wished Mrs. Cameron
success and then departed, leaving Katy to finish the dessert, which,
when ready for the table, was certainly very inviting, and would have
tempted the appetite of any man who had not been listener to matters
not wholly conducive to his peace of mind.

On his way home Wilford had stopped at his father's, finding Juno, who
had just come in, relating the particulars of her call upon his wife,
and as she did not think it necessary to stop for him, he heard of
Katy's misdoings, and her general appearance in the presence of Sybil
Grandon, whom she