ItwastowardthelastofOctoberthatBillybegantonoticeherhusband’sgrowingrestlessness。
Twice，whenshehadbeenplayingtohim，sheturnedtofindhimtestingthesupplenessofhisinjuredarm。Severaltimes，failingtoreceiveananswertoherquestions，shehadlookeduptodiscoverhimgazingabstractedlyatnothinginparticular。
Theyreadandwalkedandtalkedtogether，tobesure，andBertram’sdevotiontoherlightestwishwasbeyondquestion；butmoreandmorefrequentlythesedaysBillyfoundhimhoveringoverhissketchesinhisstudio；andonce，whenhefailedtorespondtothedinner-bell，searchrevealedhimburiedinaprofoundtreatiseonTheArtofForeshortening。’
ThencamethedaywhenBilly，afteranhour’svainefforttoimprisonwithinnotesatantalizingmelody，capturedthetruantandraindowntothestudiototellBertramofhervictory。
ButBertramdidnotseemeventohearher。