at last, as a great concession on her part, to let it bear the name of any of Katy’s family—­Hannah and Betsy mentally excepted, of course—­Lucy Lennox, Helen Lennox, Katy Lennox, anything but Genevra.  As usual, Wilford when he had learned her mind, joined with her, notwithstanding the secret preference, and the discussion became quite warm, especially as Katy evinced a willfulness for which Helen had never given her credit.  Hitherto she had been as yielding as wax, but on this point she was firm, gathering strength from the fact that Wilford did not oppose her as he usually did.  She could not, perhaps, have resisted him, but his manner was not very decided, and so she quietly persisted.  “Genevra, or nothing,” until the others gave up the contest, hoping she would feel differently after a few days’ reflection.  But Katy knew she shouldn’t; and Helen could not overcome the exultation with which she saw her little sister put the Camerons to rout and remain master of the field.

“After all it does not matter,” Mrs. Cameron said to her daughters, when, after Mrs. Wilford had gone, she sat talking of Katy’s queer fancy and her obstinacy in adhering to it.  “It does not matter; and on the whole I had as soon the christening would be postponed until the child is more presentable than now.  It will be prettier by and by, and the dress will become it better.  We can afford to wait.”

This heartless view of the case was readily adopted by Juno, while Bell professed to be terribly shocked at hearing them talk thus of a baptism, as if it were a mere show and nothing more, wondering if the Savior thought either of dress or personal appearance when the Hebrew mothers brought their children to Him.  But little did Mrs. Cameron or Juno care for the baptism except as a display, and as both would be much prouder of a fine looking child, they were well content to wait until such time as Katy should incline more favorably to their Margaret or Rose Marie.  To Helen it seemed highly probable that after a private interview with Wilford Katy would change her mind, and she felt a wickedly agreeable degree of disappointment when, on the day following the dinner party, she found her sister even more resolved than ever upon having her own way.  Like the Camerons, she did not feel the necessity of haste—­time enough by and by, when she would not have so much opposition to encounter, she said; and as Wilford did not care, it was finally arranged that they would wait a while, ere they gave a cognomen to the little nameless child, only known as Baby Cameron.

CHAPTER XXV.

TROUBLE IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

As soon as it was understood that Mrs. Wilford Cameron was able to go out, there were scores of pressing invitations from the gay world which had missed her so much, but Katy declined them all on the plea that baby needed her care.  She was happier at home, and as a mother it was her place to stay there.  At first Wilford listened quietly, but when he found it was her fixed determination to abjure society entirely, he interfered in his cool, decisive way, which always carried its point.