ItwastowardthelastofOctoberthatBillybegantonoticeherhusband’sgrowingrestlessness。
Twice，whenshehadbeenplayingtohim，sheturnedtofindhimtestingthesupplenessofhisinjuredarm。Severaltimes，failingtoreceiveananswertoherquestions，shehadlookeduptodiscoverhimgazingabstractedlyatnothinginparticular。
Theyreadandwalkedandtalkedtogether，tobesure，andBertram’sdevotiontoherlightestwishwasbeyondquestion；butmoreandmorefrequentlythesedaysBillyfoundhimhoveringoverhissketchesinhisstudio；andonce，whenhefailedtorespondtothedinner-bell，searchrevealedhimburiedinaprofoundtreatiseonTheArtofForeshortening。’
ThencamethedaywhenBilly，afteranhour’svainefforttoimprisonwithinnotesatantalizingmelody，capturedthetruantandraindowntothestudiototellBertramofhervictory。
ButBertramdidnotseemeventohearher。
True，heleapedtohisfeetandhurriedtomeether，hisfaceradiantlyaglow；butshehadnotceasedtospeakbeforehehimselfwastalking。
Billy，Billy，I’vebeensketching，’hecried。
Myhandisalmoststeady。See，someofthoselinesareallright!Ijustpickedupacrayonand——’Hestoppedabruptly，hiseyesonBilly’sface。Avaguelytroubledshadowcrossedhisown。Did——didyou——wereyousayinganythingin——inparticular，whenyoucamein？’hestammered。
Forashorthalf-minuteBillylookedatherhusbandwithoutspeaking。Then，alittlequeerly，shelaughed。
Oh，no，nothingatallin_particular_，’sheretortedairily。Thenextmoment，withoneofherunexpectedchangesofmanner，shedartedacrosstheroom，pickedupapalette，andahandfulofbrushesfromthelongboxnearit。Advancingtowardherhusbandsheheldthemoutdramatically。
Andnowpaint，mylord，paint!’shecommandedhim，withsterninsistence，asshethrustthemintohishands。
Bertramlaughedshamefacedly。
Oh，Isay，Billy，’hebegan；butBillyhadgone。
OutinthehallBillywasspeedingup-stairs，talkingfiercelytoherself。
We’ll，BillyNeilsonHenshaw，it’scome!
Nowbehaveyourself。_Thatwasthepaintinglook!_
Youknowwhatthatmeans。Remember，hebelongstohisArtbeforehedoestoyou。Kateandeverybodysaysso。Andyou——youexpectedhimtotendtoyouandyoursillylittlesongs。Doyouwanttoruinhiscareer？Asifnowhecouldspendallhistimeandgiveallhisthoughtstoyou!ButI——IjusthatethatArt!’
Whatdidyousay，Billy？’askedWilliam，inmildsurprise，comingaroundtheturnofthebalustradeinthehallabove。Wereyouspeakingtome，mydear？’
Billylookedup。Herfaceclearedsuddenly，andshelaughed——thoughalittleruefully。
No，UncleWilliam，Iwasn’ttalkingtoyou，’
shesighed。Iwasjust——justadministeringfirstaidtotheinjured，’shefinished，asshewhiskedintoherownroom。
Well，well，blessthechild!Whatcanshemeanbythat？’puzzledUncleWilliam，turningtogodownthestairway。
Bertrambegantopaintaverylittlethenextday。Hepaintedstillmorethenext，andyetmoreagainthedayfollowing。Hewaslikeabirdletoutofacage，sojoyouslyalivewashe。Theoldsparklecamebacktohiseye，theoldgaysmiletohislips。NowthattheyhadcomebackBillyrealizedwhatshehadnotbeenconsciousofbefore：thatforseveralweekspasttheyhadnotbeenthere；andshewonderedwhichhurtthemore——thattheyhadnotbeentherebefore，orthattheyweretherenow。Thenshescoldedherselfroundlyforaskingthequestionatall。
Theywerenoteasy——thosedaysforBilly，thoughalwaystoBertramshemanagedtoshowacheerfullysereneface。ToUncleWilliam，also，andtoAuntHannahsheshowedasmilingcountenance；
andbecauseshecouldnottalktoanybodyelseofherfeelings，shetalkedtoherself。
This，however，wasnonewthingforBillytodoFromearliestchildhoodshehadfoughtthingsoutinlikemanner。
Butit’ssoabsurdofyou，BillyHenshaw，’
sheberatedherselfoneday，whenBertramhadbecomesoabsorbedinhisworkthathehadforgottentokeephisappointmentwithherforawalk。Justbecauseyouhavehadhisconstantattentionalmosteveryhoursinceyouweremarriedisnoreasonwhyyoushouldhaveiteveryhournow，whenhisarmisbetter!Besides，it’sexactlywhatyousaidyouwouldn’tdo——object——
tohisgivingpropertimetohiswork。’
ButI’mnotobjecting，’stormedtheotherhalfofherself。I’m_telling_himtodoit。It’sonlythathe’sso——so_pleased_todoit。Hedoesn’tseemtomindabitbeingawayfromme。He’sactuallyhappy!’
Well，don’tyouwanthimtobehappyinhiswork？Fie!Forshame!Afineartist’swifeyouare。ItseemsKatewasright，then；you_are_goingtospoilhiscareer!’
Ho!’quothBilly，andtossedherhead。
Forthwithshecrossedtheroomtoherpianoandplumpedherselfdownhardontothestool。Then，fromunderherfingerstherefellarollickingmelodythatseemedtofilltheroomwithlittledancingfeet。FasterandfasterspedBilly’sfingers；
swifterandswiftertwinkledthelittledancingfeet。Thenadoorwasjerkedopen，andBertram’svoicecalled：
Billy!’
Themusicstoppedinstantly。Billysprangfromherseat，hereyeseagerlyseekingthedirectionfromwhichhadcomethevoice。Perhaps——_perhaps_
Bertramwantedher。Perhapshewasnotgoingtopaintanylongerthatmorning，afterall。
Billy!’calledthevoiceagain。Please，doyoumindstoppingthatplayingjustforalittlewhile？I’mabrute，Iknow，dear，butmybrush_will_trytokeeptimewiththatcrazylittletuneofyours，andyouknowmyhandisnonetoosteady，anyhow，andwhenittriestokeepupwiththatjiggety，jig，jig，jiggety，jig，jig——!_Do_youmind，，darling，just——justsewing，ordoingsomethingstillforawhile？’
AllthelightfledfromBilly’sface，buthervoice，whenshespoke，wasthequintessenceofcheeryindifference。
Why，no，ofcoursenot，dear。’
Thankyou。Iknewyouwouldn’t，’sighedBertram。Thenthedoorshut。
ForalongminuteBillystoodmotionlessbeforesheglancedatherwatchandspedtothetelephone。
IsMissGreggorythere，Rosa？’shecalledwhentheoperator’sringwasanswered。
Mis’Greggory，thelameone？’
No；_Miss_Greggory——MissAlice。’
Oh!Yes’m。’
Thenwon’tyouaskhertocometothetelephone，please。’
Therewasamoment’swait，duringwhichBilly’ssmall，well-shodfootbeatanervoustattooonthefloor。
Oh，isthatyou，Alice？’shecalledthen。
Areyougoingtobehomeforanhourortwo？’
Why，y-yes；yes，indeed。’
ThenI’mcomingover。We’llplayduets，sing——anything。Iwantsomemusic。’
Do!And——Mr。Arkwrightishere。He’llhelp。’
Mr。Arkwright？Yousayhe’sthere？ThenIwon’t——Yes，Iwill，too。’Billyspokewithrenewedfirmness。I’llbethererightaway。
Good-by。’Andshehungupthereceiver，andwenttotellPetetoorderJohnandPeggyatonce。
IsupposeIoughttohaveleftAliceandMr。
Arkwrightalonetogether，’mutteredtheyoungwifefeverishly，asshehurriedlypreparedfordeparture。ButI’llmakeituptothemlater。
I’mgoingtogivethemlotsofchances。Butto-
day——to-dayIjusthadtogo——somewhere!’
AttheAnnex，withAliceGreggoryandArkwright，Billysangduetsandtrios，andreveledinasonorouswildernessofnewmusictoherheart’scontent。Then，rested，refreshed，andatpeacewithalltheworld，shehurriedhometodinnerandtoBertram。
There!Ifeelbetter，’shesighed，asshetookoffherhatinherownroom；andnowI’llgofindBertram。Blesshisheart——ofcoursehedidn’twantmetoplaywhenhewassobusy!’
Billywentstraighttothestudio，butBertramwasnotthere。NeitherwasheinWilliam’sroom，noranywhereinthehouse。Down-stairsinthedining-roomPetewasfoundlookingratherwhite，leaningbackinachair。Hestruggledatoncetohisfeet，however，ashismistressenteredtheroom。
Billyhurriedforwardwithastartledexclamation。
Why，Pete，whatisit？Areyousick？’shecried，herglanceencompassingthehalf-settable。
No，ma’am；oh，no，ma’am!’Theoldmanstumbledforwardandbegantoarrangetheknivesandforks。It’sjustapeskypain——beggin’
yerpardon——inmyside。ButIain’tsick。No，Miss——ma’am。’
Billyfrownedandshookherhead。HereyeswereonPete’spalpablytremblinghands。
But，Pete，youaresick，’sheprotested。LetElizadothat。’
Petedrewhimselfstifflyerect。Thecolorhadbeguntocomebacktohisface。
Therehain’tnoonesetthistablemuchbutmeformore’nfiftyyears，an’I’vegotasortofnotionthatnobodycandoitjusttersuitme。
Besides，I’mbetternow。It’sgone——thatpain。’
But，Pete，whatisit？Howlonghaveyouhadit？’
Ihain’thaditanytime，steady。It’sthecomin’an’goin’kind。Itseemssillyterminditatall；only，whenitdoescome，itsorto’takesthebackbonerightouto’myknees，andtheydoubleupso’sIhavetersetdown。There，yesee？I’mpertasasparrer，now!’And，withstiffcelerity，Peteresumedhistask。
Hismistressstillfrowned。
Thatisn’tright，Pete，’shedemurred，withaslowshakeofherhead。Youshouldseeadoctor。’
Theoldmanpaledalittle。Hehadseenadoctor，andhehadnotlikedwhatthedoctorhadtoldhim。Infact，hestubbornlyrefusedtobelievewhatthedoctorhadsaid。Hestraightenedhimselfnowalittleaggressively。
Humph!Beggin’yerpardon，Miss——ma’am，butIdon’tthinkmucho’themdoctorchaps。’
Billyshookherheadagainasshesmiledandturnedaway。Then，asifcasually，sheasked：
Oh，didMr。Bertramgoout，Pete？’
Yes，Miss；aboutfiveo’clock。Hesaidhe’dbebacktodinner。’
Oh!Allright。’
Fromthehallthetelephonejangledsharply。
I’llgo，’saidPete’smistress，assheturnedandhurriedup-stairs。
ItwasBertram’svoicethatansweredheropeningHullo。’
Oh，Billy，isthatyou，dear？Well，you’rejusttheoneIwanted。Iwantedtosay——thatis，Iwantedtoaskyou——’Thespeakerclearedhisthroatalittlenervously，andbeganalloveragain。Thefactis，Billy，I’verunacrossacoupleofoldclassmatesonfromNewYork，andtheyareveryanxiousIshouldstaydowntodinnerwiththem。Wouldyoumind——verymuchifI
did？’
AcoldhandseemedtoclutchBilly’sheart。
Shecaughtherbreathwithalittlegaspandtriedtospeak；butshehadtotrytwicebeforethewordscame。
Why，no——no，ofcoursenot!’Billy’svoicewasveryhigh-pitchedandalittleshaky，butitwassurpassinglycheerful。
Yousureyouwon’tbe——lonesome？’Bertram’svoicewasvaguelytroubled。
Ofcoursenot!’
You’veonlytosaytheword，littlegirl，’
cameBertram’sanxioustonesagain，andI
won’tstay。’
Billyswallowedconvulsively。Ifonly，onlyhewould_stop_andleavehertoherself!Asifsheweregoingtoownupthat_she_waslonesomefor_him_——
if_he_wasnotlonesomefor_her!_
Nonsense!ofcourseyou’llstay，’calledBilly，stillinthathigh-pitched，shakytreble。Then，beforeBertramcouldanswer，sheutteredagayGood-by!’andhungupthereceiver。
BillyhadtenwholeminutesinwhichtocrybeforePete’sgongsoundedfordinner；butshehadonlyoneminuteinwhichtotrytoeffacethewoefullyvisibleeffectsofthosetenminutesbeforeWilliamtappedatherdoor，andcalled：
Gonetosleep，mydear？Dinner’sready。
Didn’tyouhearthegong？’
Yes，I’mcoming，UncleWilliam。’Billyspokewithbreezygayety，andthrewopenthedoor；butshedidnotmeetUncleWilliam’seyes。
Herheadwasturnedaway。Herhandswerefussingwiththehangofherskirt。
Bertram’sdiningout，Petetellsme，’observedWilliam，withcheerfulnonchalance，astheywentdown-stairstogether。
Billybitherlipandlookedupsharply。Shehadbeenbracingherselftomeetwithdisdainfulindifferencethisman’spity——thepitydueapoorneglectedwifewhosehusband_preferred_todinewitholdclassmatesratherthanwithherself。