'He cannot be half so well worth seeing since he chose to marry such
a horrid wife,' said Elizabeth.

'Would you never see Horace again, if he did such a thing?' said
Katherine; 'I am sure I would not give him up. Would you?'

'I could trust Horace, I think,' said Elizabeth; 'I will give him
fair warning, and I give you and Helen warning, that if you marry
odious people, I will have done with you.'

'When I was at Dykelands,' said Helen, 'everybody was talking about a
man who had married--'

'Never mind Dykelands now, Helen,' said Elizabeth, 'and do put down
your pencil. That drawing was tolerable before luncheon, but you
have been making your tree more like Mr. Dillon's Sunday periwig,
every minute since I have been here. And such a shadow! But do not
stop to mend it. You will not do any good now, and here is some
better work. Mamma wants us to help to finish the cushions. We must
do something to earn the pleasure of having St. Austin's Church
consecrated on St. Austin's day.'

'What, do you mean that I am to work on that hard velvet?' said
Helen, who was a little mortified by the unsparing criticism on her
drawing.

'Yes, I undertook that we three should make up the two cushions for
the desk and eagle; Mrs. Webbe's hands are full of business already,
but she has explained it all to me, and Kate will understand it
better than I can.'