"Diamond cut diamond," Bell thought, as she saw how frigidly polite both Juno and Helen were, each recognizing in the other something antagonistic, which could never harmonize.
Had Juno never cared for Dr. Grant, or suspected Helen of standing between herself and him, and had Mark Ray never stopped at Silverton, or been seen on Broadway with her, she might have judged her differently, for there was something attractive in Helen's face and appearance as she sat talking to her guests, not awkwardly nor timidly, but with as much quiet dignity as if she had never mended Uncle Ephraim's socks, or made a pound of butter among the huckleberry hills. Bell was delighted, detecting at once traces of the rare mind which Helen Lennox possessed, and wondering to find it so.
"I hope we shall see each other often," she said, at parting. "I do not go out a great deal myself--that is, not as much as Juno--but I shall be always glad to welcome you to my den. You may find something there to interest you."
This was Bell's leave-taking, while Sybil's was, if possible, even more friendly, for aside from really fancying Helen, she took a perverse kind of pleasure in annoying Juno, who wondered "what she or Bell could see to like in that awkward country girl, whom she knew had on one of Katy's cast-off collars, and her wardrobe was the most ordinary she ever saw; fitch furs, think of that!" and Juno gave a little pull at the fastenings of her rich ermine collar, showing so well over her velvet basquine.
"Fitch furs or not, they rode with Mark Ray on Broadway," Bell retorted, with a wicked look in her eyes, which aroused Juno to a still higher pitch of anger, so that by the time the carriage stopped at No. ----, the young lady was in a most unamiable frame of mind as regarded both Helen Lennox and the offending Mark.
That evening there was at Mrs. Reynolds' a little company of thirty or more, and as Mark was present, Juno seized the opportunity for ascertaining, if possible, his real opinion of Helen Lennox, joking him first about his having taken her to ride so soon, and insinuating that he must have a penchant for every new and pretty face.
"Then you think her pretty? You have called on her?" Mark replied, his manner evincing so much pleasure that Juno bit her lip to keep down her wrath, and flashing upon him her scornful eyes, replied: "Yes, Sybil and Bell insisted that I should. Of myself I would never have done it, for I have now more acquaintances than I can attend to, and do not care to increase the list. Besides that, I do not imagine that Miss Lennox can in any way add to my happiness, brought up as she has been among the woods and hills, you know."