AndleaveUncleWilliamonabenchintheCommon？Indeed，no!Why，Bertram，youwouldn’t，either，’shecried，assheturnedresolutelytowardoneoftheentrancestotheCommon。
AndBertram，withtheeyesallshining’
stillbeforehim，couldonlymurmur：No，ofcoursenot，dear!’andfollowobedientlywheresheled。
Underordinarycircumstancesitwouldhavebeenadelightfulhourforawalk。Thesunhadalmostset，andtheshadowslaylongacrossthegrass。TheairwascoolandunusuallybracingforadaysoearlyinSeptember。ButallthiswaslostonBertram。Bertramdidnotwishtotakeawalk。Hewashungry。Hewantedhisdinner；andhewanted，too，hisoldhomewithhisnewwifeflittingabouttheroomsashehadpicturedthisfirsteveningtogether。HewantedWilliam，ofcourse。CertainlyhewantedWilliam；
butifWilliamwouldinsistonrunningawayandsittingonparkbenchesinthisridiculousfashion，heoughttotaketheconsequences——
untilto-morrow。
Five，ten，fifteenminutespassed。Uponepathanddownanothertrudgedtheanxious-eyedBillyandherincreasinglyimpatienthusband。Thenwhenthefifteenwearyminuteshadbecomeastillmorewearyhalf-hour，thebondsBertramhadsetonhistempersnapped。
Billy，’heremonstrateddespairingly，do，please，comehome!Don’tyouseehowhighlyimprobableitisthatweshouldhappenonWilliamifwewalkedlikethisallnight？Hemightmove——changehisseat——gohome，even。Heprobablyhasgonehome。Andsurelyneverbeforedidabrideinsistonspendingthefirsteveningafterherreturntrampingupanddownapublicparkforhourafterhourlikethis，lookingforanyman。_Won’t_youcomehome？’
ButBillyhadnotevenheard。Withagladlittlecryshehaddartedtothesideofthehumped-upfigureofamanaloneonaparkbenchjustaheadofthem。
UncleWilliam!Oh，UncleWilliam，howcouldyou？’shecried，droppingherselfontooneendoftheseatandcatchingtheman’sarminbothherhands。
Yes，howcouldyou？’demandedBertram，withjustatouchofirritation，droppinghimselfontotheotherendoftheseat，andcatchingtheman’sotherarminhisoneusablehand。
Thebentshouldersandbowedheadstraightenedupwithajerk。
Well，well，blessmysoul!Ifitisn’tourlittlebride，’criedUncleWilliam，fondly。Andthehappybridegroom，too。Whendidyougethome？’
Wehaven’tgothome，’retortedBertram，promptly，beforehiswifecouldspeak。Oh，welookedinatthedooranhourorsoback；butwedidn’tstay。We’vebeenhuntingforyoueversince。’
Nonsense，children!’UncleWilliamspokewithgaycheeriness；butherefusedtomeeteitherBilly’sorBertram’seyes。
UncleWilliam，howcouldyoudoit？’
reproachedBilly，again。
Dowhat？’UncleWilliamwasplainlyfencingfortime。
Leavethehouselikethat？’
Ho!Iwantedachange。’
Asifwe’dbelievethat!’scoffedBilly。
Allright；let’scallityou’vehadthechange，then，’laughedBertram，andwe’llsendoverforyourthingsto-morrow。Come——nowlet’sgohometodinner。’
Williamshookhishead。Heessayedagaysmile。
Why，I’veonlyjustbegun。I’mgoingtostay——oh，Idon’tknowhowlongI’mgoingtostay，’hefinishedblithely。
Billyliftedherchinalittle。
UncleWilliam，youaren’tplayingsquare。
Petetolduswhatyousaidwhenyouleft。’
Eh？What？’Williamlookedupwithstartledeyes。
About——aboutournot_needing_you。Soweknow，now，whyyouleft；andwe_sha’n’tstand_
it。’
Pete？That？Oh，that——that’snonsenseI——I’llsettlewithPete。’
Billylaughedsoftly。
PoorPete!Don’t。Wesimplydraggeditoutofhim。Andnowwe’reheretotellyouthatwe_do_wantyou，andthatyou_must_comeback。’
AgainWilliamshookhishead。Aswiftshadowcrossedhisface。
Thankyou，no，children，’hesaiddully。
You’reverykind，butyoudon’tneedme。I
shouldbejustaninterferingelderbrother。I
shouldspoilyouryoungmarriedlife。’William’svoicenowsoundedasifhewererecitingawell-
learnedlesson。’IfIwentawayandstayedtwomonths，you’dneverforgettheutterfreedomandjoyofthosetwowholemonthswiththehousealltoyourselves。’
UncleWilliam，’gaspedBilly，what_are_
youtalkingabout？’
About——aboutmynotgoingback，ofcourse。’
Butyouarecomingback，’cutinBertram，almostangrily。Oh，come，Will，thisisutternonsense，andyouknowit!Come，let’sgohometodinner。’
AsternlookcametothecornersofWilliam’smouth——alookthatBertramunderstoodwell。
Allright，I’llgotodinner，ofcourse；butIsha’n’tstay，’saidWilliam，firmly。I’vethoughtitallout。IknowI’mright。Come，we’llgotodinnernow，andsaynomoreaboutit，’hefinishedwithacheerysmile，asherosetohisfeet。Then，tothebride，headded：Didyouhaveanicetrip，littlegirl？’
Billy，too，hadrisen，now，butshedidnotseemtohaveheardhisquestion。Inthefastfallingtwilightherfacelookedalittlewhite。
UncleWilliam，’shebeganveryquietly，doyouthinkforaminutethatjustbecauseImarriedyourbrotherIamgoingtoliveinthathouseandturnyououtofthehomeyou’velivedinallyourlife？’
Nonsense，dear!I’mnotturnedout。Ijustgo，’correctedUncleWilliam，gayly。
WithsuperbdisdainBillybrushedthisaside。
Oh，no，youwon’t，’shedeclared；but——
_Ishall_。’
Billy!’gaspedBertram。
My——mydear!’expostulatedWilliam，faintly。
UncleWilliam!Bertram!Listen，’pantedBilly。Inevertoldyoumuchbefore，butI’mgoingto，now。Longago，whenIwentawaywithAuntHannah，yoursisterKateshowedmehowdeartheoldhomewastoyou——howmuchyouthoughtofit。Andshesaid——shesaidthatIhadupseteverything。’Bertraminterjectedasharpword，butBillypaidnoattention。That’swhyIwent；and_Ishallgoagain_——ifyoudon’tcomehometo-morrowtostay，UncleWilliam。
Come，nowlet’sgotodinner，please。Bertram’shungry，’shefinished，withabrightsmile。
Therewasatensemomentofsilence。WilliamglancedatBertram；Bertramreturnedtheglance——withinterest。
Er——ah——yes；well，wemightgotodinner，’
stammeredWilliam，afteraminute。
Er——yes，’agreedBertram。Andthethreefellintosteptogether。
CHAPTERIV
JUSTLIKEBILLY’
BillydidnotleavetheStratathistime。
Beforetwenty-fourhourshadpassed，thelastcherishedfragmentofMr。WilliamHenshaw’spossessionshadbeencarefullycarrieddowntheimposingstepsoftheBeaconHillboarding-houseunderthedisapprovingeyesofitsbugle-adornedmistress，whofoundherselfnowwithamonth’sadvancerentandtwovacantparlors’onherhands。Beforeanothertwenty-fourhourshadpassedherquondamboarder，withatiredsigh，sankintohisfavoritemorrischairinhisoldfamiliarrooms，andlookedabouthimwithcontentedeyes。Everytreasurewasinplace，fromthetraditionalfoursmallstonesofhisbabyhooddaystotheBatterseasBillyhadjustbroughthim。
Pete，asofyore，washoveringnearwithadust-
cloth。Bertram’sgaywhistlesoundedfromthefloorbelow。WilliamHenshawwasathomeagain。
Thismuchaccomplished，BillywenttoseeAuntHannah。
AuntHannahgreetedheraffectionately，thoughwithtearfullytroubledeyes。Shewaswearingagrayshawlto-daytoppedwithablackone——
suresignofunrest，eitherphysicalormental，asallherfriendsknew。
I’dbeguntothinkyou’dforgotten——me，’
shefaltered，withapoorattemptatgayety。
You’vebeenhomethreewholedays。’
Iknow，dearie，’smiledBilly；and’twasashame。ButIhavebeensobusy!Mytrunkscameatlast，andI’vebeenhelpingUncleWilliamgetsettled，too。’
AuntHannahlookedpuzzled。
UncleWilliamgetsettled？Youmean——
he’schangedhisroom？’
Billylaughedoddly，andthrewaswiftglanceintoAuntHannah’sface。
Well，yes，hedidchange，’shemurmured；
buthe’smovedbacknowintotheoldquarters。
Er——youhaven’theardfromUncleWilliamthen，lately，Itakeit。’
No。’AuntHannahshookherheadabstractedly。Ididseehimonce，severalweeksago；butIhaven’t，since。Wehadquiteatalk，then；and，Billy，I’vebeenwantingtospeaktoyou，’shehurriedon，alittlefeverishly。I
didn’tliketoleave，ofcourse，tillyoudidcomehome，aslongasyou’dsaidnothingaboutyourplans；but——’
Leave!’interposedBilly，dazedly。Leavewhere？Whatdoyoumean？’
Why，leavehere，ofcourse，dear。Imean。
Ididn’tliketogetmyroomwhileyouwereaway；butIshallnow，ofcourse，atonce。’
Nonsense，AuntHannah!AsifI’dletyoudothat，’laughedBilly。
AuntHannahstiffenedperceptibly。Herlipslookedsuddenlythinanddetermined。Eventhesoftlittlecurlsaboveherearsseemedactuallytobristlewithresolution。
Billy，’shebeganfirmly，wemightaswellunderstandeachotheratonce。Iknowyourgoodheart，andIappreciateyourkindness。ButIcannotcometolivewithyou。Ishallnot。Itwouldn’tbebest。Ishouldbelikeaninterferingelderbrotherinyourhome。Ishouldspoilyouryoungmarriedlife；andifIwentawayfortwomonthsyou’dneverforgettheutterjoyandfreedomofthosetwomonthswiththewholehousealitoyourselves。’
AtthebeginningofthisspeechBilly’seyeshadstillcarriedtheirdancingsmile，butastheperorationprogressedontotheend，adawningsurprise，whichsoonbecameapuzzledquestioning，drovethesmileaway。ThenBillysatsuddenlyerect。
Why，AuntHannah，that’sexactlywhatUncleWilliam——’Billystopped，andregardedAuntHannahwithquicksuspicion。Thenextmomentsheburstintogleefullaughter。
AuntHannahlookedgrieved，andnotalittlesurprised；butBillydidnotseemtonoticethis。
Oh，oh，AuntHannah——you，too!Howperfectlyfunny!’shegurgled。Tothinkyoutwooldblessedsshouldgetyourheadstogetherlikethis!’
AuntHannahstirredrestively，andpulledtheblackshawlmorecloselyabouther。
Indeed，Billy，Idon’tknowwhatyoumeanbythat，’shesighed，withavisibleeffortatself-
control；butIdoknowthatIcannotgotolivewithyou。’
Blessyourheart，dear，Idon’twantyouto，’
soothedBilly，withgaypromptness。
Oh!O-h-h，’stammeredAuntHannah，surprise，mortification，dismay，andagrievedhurtbringingafloodofcolortoherface。Itisonethingtorefuseahome，andquiteanothertohaveahomerefusedyou。
Oh!O-h-h，AuntHannah，’criedBilly，turningveryredinherturn。Please，_please_don’tlooklikethat。Ididn’tmeanitthatway。Idowantyou，dear，only——Iwantyousomewhereelsemore。Iwantyou——here。’
Here!’AuntHannahlookedrelieved，butunconvinced。
Yes。Don’tyoulikeithere？’
Likeit!Why，Iloveit，dear。YouknowI
do。Butyoudon’tneedthishousenow，Billy。’
Oh，yes，Ido，’retortedBilly，airily。I’mgoingtokeepitup，andIwantyouhere。
Fiddlededee，Billy!AsifI’dletyoukeepupthishousejustforme，’scornedAuntHannah。
’Tisn’tjustforyou。It’sfor——forlotsoffolks。’
Mygriefandconscience，Billy!Whatareyoutalkingabout？’
Billylaughed，andsettledherselfmorecomfortablyonthehassockatAuntHannah’sfeet。