“I mean to sound her,” he thought, and as just then Lieutenant Bob passed by, making some jocose remark about his offending all the fair ones by the course he was taking, Mark said to Helen, who suggested returning to the parlor: 

“As you like, though it cannot matter; a person known to be engaged is above Bob Reynolds’ jokes.”

Quick as thought the hot blood stained Helen’s face and neck, for Mark had made a most egregious blunder, giving her only the impression that he was the engaged one referred to, not herself, and for a moment she forgot the gay scene around her in the sharpness of the pang with which she recognized all that Mark Ray was to her.

“It was kind in him to warn me.  I wish it had been sooner,” she thought, and then with a bitter feeling of shame she wondered how much he had guessed of her real feelings, and who the betrothed one was.  “Not Juno Cameron,” she hoped, as after a few moments Mrs. Cameron came up, and adroitly detaching Mark from her side, took his place while he sauntered to a group of ladies and was ere long dancing merrily with Juno, whose crimson robe once brushed against Helen’s pink, and whose black eyes looked exultingly into Helen’s face.

“They are a well-matched pair,” Mrs. Cameron said, assuming a very confidential manner toward Helen, who assented to the remark, while the lady continued:  “There is but one thing wrong about Mark Ray.  He is a most unscrupulous flirt, pleased with every new face, and this of course annoys Juno.”

“Are they engaged?” came faintly and involuntarily from Helen’s lips, while Mrs. Cameron’s foot beat the carpet with a very becoming hesitancy, as she replied:  “Oh, that was settled in our family a long time ago.  Wilford and Mark have always been like brothers.”

If Helen had been on the watch for equivocations she would not have placed as much stress as she did on Mrs. Cameron’s words, for that lady did not say positively “They are engaged.”  She could not quite bring herself to a deliberate falsehood, which, if detected, would reflect upon her character as a lady, but she could mislead Helen, and she did so effectually, as was evinced by the red spot which burned on her cheeks, and by her uncertain way of replying to a gentleman who stood by her for a moment, addressing to her some casual remark and departing with the impression that Miss Lennox was very timid and shy.  After he was gone, Mrs. Cameron continued, “It is not like us to bruit our affairs abroad, and were my daughter ten times engaged, the world would be none the wiser.  I doubt if even Katy suspects what I have admitted; but knowing how fascinating Mark can be, and that just at present he seems to be pleased with you, I have acted as I should wish a friend to act toward my own child.  Were it not that you are one of our family, I might not have interfered, and I trust you not to repeat even to Katy what I have said.”