Helen felt the hot blood pricking the roots of her hair, for the Bowery, the Tombs and Barnum's Museum had been her choice as the points of which she had heard the most. So when Mark continued: "You shall ride with me, Miss Lennox, and I will show you something worth your seeing," she frankly answered: "Your mother is not in fault, Mr. Ray. She asked me where I wished to go, and I mentioned these places; so please attribute it wholly to my country breeding, and not to your mother's lack of taste."
There was something in the frank speech which won Mrs. Banker's heart, while she felt an increased respect for the young girl, who, she saw, was keenly sensitive, even with all her strength of character.
"You were quite right to commence as you have," she said, "for now you have a still greater treat in store, and Mark shall drive you to the park some day. I know you will like that."
Helen felt that she should like anything with that friendly voice to reassure her, and leaning back she was thinking how pleasant it was to be in New York, how different from what she had expected, when a bow from Mark made her look up in time to see that they were meeting a carriage, in which sat Wilford, and with two gayly-dressed ladies, both of whom gave her a supercilious stare as they passed by, while the younger of the two half turned her head, as if for a more prolonged gaze.
"Mrs. Grandon and Juno Cameron," Mrs. Banker said, making some further remark to her son; while Helen felt that the brightness of the day changed, for she could not be unconscious of the look with which she had been regarded by these two fashionable ladies, and again her furs came up before her, bringing a feeling of which she was ashamed, especially as she had fancied herself above all weakness of the kind.
But Helen was a woman, with a woman's nature, and so that ride was not without its annoyance, though her face was very bright as she bade Mrs. Banker and Mark good-by, and then ran up the steps to Katy's home. That night at the dinner, from which Mrs. Cameron was absent, Wilford was unusually gracious, asking "had she enjoyed her ride, and if she did not find Mrs. Banker a very pleasant acquaintance."
The fact was, Wilford felt a little uncomfortable himself for having suffered a stranger to do for Katy's sister what devolved upon himself. Katy had asked him to drive with Helen; but he had found it very convenient to forget it, and take a seat instead with Juno and Mrs. Grandon, the latter of whom complimented "Miss Lennox's fine intellectual face," after they had passed, and complimented it the more as she saw how it vexed Juno, who could see nothing "in those bold eyes and that masculine forehead," just because their _vis-à-vis_ chanced to be Mark Ray's. Juno was not pleased with Helen's first appearance in the street, but nevertheless she called upon her next day, with Sybil Grandon and her sister, Bell. To this she was urged by Sybil, who, having a somewhat larger experience of human nature, foresaw that Helen would be popular just because Mrs. Banker had thus early taken her up, and who, besides, had conceived a capricious fancy to patronize Miss Lennox. But in this she was foiled, for Helen was not to be patronized, and she received her visitors with that calm, assured manner so much a part of herself.