sickness and desolation
which swept over her, as she thought how really alone she should be
there, in her sister's house, on this first night of her arrival, if
it were not for Mark, thus virtually taking the place of the
brother-in-law, who should have been there to greet her.

"He was with Mrs. Cameron," the servant said, and taking out a card Mark
wrote down a few words, and handing it to the servant who had been
looking curiously at Helen, he continued standing until a step was heard
on the stairs and Wilford came quietly in.

It was not a very loving meeting, but Helen was civil and Wilford was
polite, offering her his hand and asking some questions about her
journey.

"I was intending to meet you myself," he said, "but Mrs. Cameron does
not like me to leave her, and Mark kindly offered to take the trouble
off my hands."

This was the most gracious thing he had said; this the nearest approach
to friendliness, and Helen felt herself hating him less than she had
supposed she should. He was looking very pale and anxious, while there
was on his face the light of a new joy, as if the little life begun so
short a time ago had brought an added good to him, softening his haughty
manner and making him even endurable to the prejudiced sister watching
him so closely!

"Does Phillips know you are here?" he asked, answering his own query by
ringing the bell and bidding Esther, who appeared, tell Phillips that
Miss Lennox had arrived and wished for supper, explaining to Helen that
since Katy's illness they had dined at three, as that accommodated them
the best.

This done and Helen's baggage ordered to her room, he seemed to think he
had discharged his duty as host, and as Mark had left he began to grow
fidgety, for a _tete-a-tete_ with Helen was not what he desired. He had
said to her all he could think to say, for it never once occurred to him
to inquire after the deacon's family. He had asked for Dr. Grant, but
his solicitude went no further, and the inmates of the farmhouse might
have been dead and buried for aught he knew to the contrary. The
omission was not made purposely, but because he really did not feel
enough of interest in people so widely different from himself even to
ask for them, much less to suspect how Helen's blood boiled as she
detected the omission and imputed it to intended slight, feeling so glad
when he at last excused himself, saying he must go back to Katy, but
would send his mother down to see