ItwasBilly’sturntochange。Alltheangermeltedawaybeforethedismayedtendernessinthosedeareyesandthegrievedhurtinthatdearvoice。
Well，you——you——I——’Billybegantocry。
Itwasallrightthen，ofcourse，forthenextminuteshewascryingonBertram’sbig，broadshoulder；andinthemidstofbrokenwords，kisses，gentlepats，andinarticulatecroonings，theBig，BadQuarrel，thathadbeenallreadytomaterialize，fadedquiteawayintonothingness。
Ididn’thavesuchanawfullygoodtime，anyhow，avowedBertram，whenspeechbecamerational。I’dratherhavebeenhomewithyou。’
Nonsense!’blinkedBilly，valiantly。Ofcourseyouhadagoodtime；anditwasperfectlyrightyoushouldhaveit，too!AndI——Ihopeyou’llhaveitagain。’
Isha’n’t，’emphasizedBertram，promptly，——notandleaveyou!’
Billyregardedhimwithadoringeyes。
I’lltellyou；we’llhave’emcomehere，’sheproposedgayly。
Surewewill，’agreedBertram。
Yes；surewewill，’echoedBilly，withacontentedsigh。Then，alittlebreathlessly，sheadded：Anyhow，I’llknow——whereyouare。
Iwon’tthinkyou’re——dead!’
You——blessed——little-goose!’scoldedBertram，punctuatingeachwordwithakiss。
Billydrewalongsigh。
IfthisisaquarrelI’mgoingtohavethemoften，’sheannouncedplacidly。
Billy!’Theyounghusbandwasplainlyaghast。
Well，Iam——becauseIlikethemaking-up，dimpledBilly，withamischievoustwinkleasshebrokefromhisclaspandskippedaheadupthestairway。
Thenextmorning，undertheuncompromisingchallengeofabrightsun，Billybegantobeuneasilysuspiciousthatshehadbeenjustabitunreasonableandexactingthenightbefore。Tomakemattersworseshechancedtorunacrossanewspapercriticismofanewbookbearingtheominoustitle：WhentheHoneymoonWanesATalktoYoungWives。’
Suchatitle，ofcourse，attractedhersupersensitiveattentionatonce；and，withacuriouslyfaintfeeling，shepickedupthepaperandbegantoread。
Asthemostofthecriticismwastakenupwithquotationsfromthebook，itwassuchsentencesasthesethatmetherstartledeyes：
Perhapsthefirsttestcomeswhentheyoungwifeawakestotherealizationthatwhileherhusbandlovesherverymuch，hecanstillmakeplanswithhisoldfriendswhichdonotincludeherself……Theniswhenthefoolishwifeletsherhusbandseehowhurtsheisthathecanwanttobewithanyonebutherself……Theniswhenthehusband——usedallhislifetoindependence，perhaps——beginstochafeunderthesenewbondsthatholdhimsofast……Nomanlikestobeheldupattheendofathreatenedsceneandmadetogiveanaccountofhimself……Beforeawomanhaslearnedtocultivateacomfortableindifferencetoherhusband’scomingsandgoings，sheisapttobetyrannicalandexacting。’
`Comfortableindifference，’indeed!’stormedBillytoherself。AsifIevercouldbecomfortablyindifferenttoanythingBertramdid!’
Shedroppedthepaper；buttherewerestillotherquotationsfromthebookthere，sheknew；
andinamomentshewasbackatthetablereadingthem。
Noman，howeverfondlyheloveshiswife，likestofeelthatsheiseverlastinglypeeringintotherecessesofhismind，andweighinghiseveryacttofindoutifhedoesordoesnotloveherto-
dayaswellashedidyesterdayatthistime……
Then，whenspontaneityisdead，sheisthechiefmourneratitsfuneral……AfewcouplesneverleavetheGardenofEden。Theygrowoldhandinhand。Theyaretheoneswhobearandforbear；
whohavelearnedtoadjustthemselvestotheintimaterelationshipoflivingtogether……
Acertainamountofliberty，bothofactionandthought，mustbeallowedoneachside……Thefamilyshutinuponitselfgrowssonarrowthatallinterestintheoutsideworldislost……Notwopeopleareeverfittedtofilleachother’slivesentirely。Theyoughtnottotrytodoit。
Iftheydotry，theprocessisbelittlingtoeach，andtheresult，ifitissuccessful，isnothinglessthanatragedy；foritcouldnotmeanthehighestideals，northetruestdevotion……Brushingupagainstotherinterestsandotherpersonalitiesisgoodforbothhusbandandwife。Thentoeachothertheybringthebestofwhattheyhavefound，andeachtotheothercontinuestobenewandinteresting……Theyoungwife，however，isapttobejealousofeverythingthatturnsherhusband’sattentionforonemomentawayfromherself。Sheisjealousofhisthoughts，hiswords，hisfriends，evenhisbusiness……Butthewifewhohaslearnedtobetheclingingvinewhenherhusbandwisheshertocling，andtobethesturdyoakwhenclingingvineswouldbetiresome，hassolvedatremendousproblem。’
AtthispointBillydroppedthepaper。Sheflungitdown，indeed，abitangrily。Therewerestillafewmorewordsinthecriticism，mostlythecritic’sownopinionofthebook；butBillydidnotcareforthis。Shehadreadquiteenough——
boomuch，infact。Allthatsortoftalkmightbeverywell，evennecessary，perhapsshetoldherself，forordinaryhusbandsandwives!butforherandBertram——
Thenvividlybeforeherrosethoseinitialquotedwords：
Perhapsthefirsttestcomeswhentheyoungwifeawakestotherealizationthatwhileherhusbandlovesherverymuch，hecanstillmakeplanswithhisoldfriendswhichdonotincludeherself。’
Billyfrowned，andputherfingertoherlips。
Wasthatthen，lastnight，atest’？Hadshebeentyrannicalandexacting’？Wassheeverlastinglypeeringintotherecesses’ofBertram’smindandweighinghiseveryact’？
WasBertramalreadybeginningtochafe’
underthesenewbondsthatheldhim？
No，no，neverthat!Shecouldnotbelievethat。
Butwhatifheshouldsometimebegintochafe？
Whatiftheytwoshould，indaystocome，degenerateintojusttheordinary，everydaymarriedfolk，whomshesawabouthereverywhere，andforwhomjustsuchhorridbooksasthismustbewritten？Itwasunbelievable，unthinkable。Andyet，thatmanhadsaid——
WithadespairingsighBillypickedupthepaperoncemoreandreadcarefullyeverywordagain。
Whenshehadfinishedshestoodsoberlythoughtful，hereyesoutofthewindow。
Afterall，itwasnothingbutthesameoldstory。
Shewasexacting。Shedidwantherhusband’severythought。She_gloried_inpeeringintoeverylastrecessofhismindifshehadhalfachance。
Shewasjealousofhiswork。Shehadalmosthatedhispainting——attimes。Shehadheldhimupwithathreatenedsceneonlythenightbeforeanddemandedthatheshouldgiveanaccountofhimself。Shehad，verylikely，beentheclingingvinewhensheshouldhavebeenthesturdyoak。
Verywell，then。Billyliftedherheadandthrewbackhershoulders。Heshouldhavenofurthercauseforcomplaint。Shewouldbeanoak。Shewouldcultivatethatcomfortableindifferencetohiscomingsandgoings。Shewouldbrushupagainstotherinterestsandpersonalitiessoastobenew’andinteresting’toherhusband。Shewouldnotbetyrannical，exacting，orjealous。Shewouldnotthreatenscenes，norpeerintorecesses。Whateverhappened，shewouldnotletBertrambegintochafeagainstthosebonds!
Havingarrivedatthisheroicandtoher
eminentlysatisfactorystateofmind，Billyturnedfromthewindowandfelltoworkonapieceofmanuscriptmusic。
`Brushupagainstotherinterests，’’sheadmonishedherselfsternly，asshereachedforherpen。
Theoreticallyitwasbeautiful；butpractically——
Billybeganatoncetobethatoak。NotanhouraftershehadfirstseenthefatefulnoticeofWhentheHoneymoonWanes，’Bertram’sringsoundedatthedoordown-stairs。
Bertramalwayslethimselfinwithhislatchkey；
but，fromthefirstofBilly’sbeingthere，hehadgivenapeculiarringatthebellwhichwouldbringhiswifeflyingtowelcomehimifshewereanywhereinthehouse。To-day，whenthebellsounded，Billysprangasusualtoherfeet，withajoyousThere’sBertram!’Butthenextmomentshefellback。
Tut，tut，BillyNeilsonHenshaw!Learntocultivateacomfortableindifferencetoyourhusband’scomingsandgoings，’shewhisperedfiercely。Thenshesatdownandfelltoworkagain。
Amomentlatersheheardherhusband’svoicetalkingtosomeone——Pete，shesurmised。Here？
Yousayshe’shere？’ThensheheardBertram’squicksteponthestairs。Thenextminute，veryquietly，hecametoherdoor。
Ho!’heejaculatedgayly，assherosetoreceivehiskiss。IthoughtI’dfindyouasleep，whenyoudidn’thearmyring。’
Billyreddenedalittle。
Oh，no，Iwasn’tasleep。’
Butyoudidn’thear——’Bertramstoppedabruptly，anoddlookinhiseyes。Maybeyoudidhearit，though，’hecorrected。
Billycoloredmoreconfusedly。ThefactthatshelookedsodistresseddidnottendtoclearBertram’sface。
Why，ofcourse，Billy，Ididn’tmeantoinsistonyourcomingtomeetme，’hebeganalittlestiffly；butBillyinterruptedhim。
Why，Bertram，Ijustlovetogotomeetyou，’
shemaintainedindignantly。Then，rememberingjustintime，sheamended：Thatis，Ididlovetomeetyou，until——’Withasuddenrealizationthatshecertainlyhadnothelpedmattersany，shecametoanembarrassedpause。
ApuzzledfrownshowedonBertram’sface。
Youdidlovetomeetmeuntil——’herepeatedafterher；thenhisfacechanged。Billy，youaren’t——you_can’t_belayinguplastnightagainstme!’hereproachedheralittleirritably。
Lastnight？Why，ofcoursenot，’retortedBilly，inapanicatthebarementionofthetest’which——accordingtoWhentheHoneymoonWanes’——wasattherootofallhermisery。
AlreadyshethoughtshedetectedinBertram’svoicesignsthathewasbeginningtochafeagainstthosebonds。’Itisamatterof——
oftheutmostindifferencetomewhattimeyoucomehomeatnight，mydear，’shefinishedairily，asshesatdowntoherworkagain。
Bertramstared；thenhefrowned，turnedonhisheelandlefttheroom。Bertram，whoknewnothingoftheTalktoYoungWives’inthenewspaperatBilly’sfeet，wassurprised，puzzled，andjustabitangry。
Billy，leftalone，jabbedherpenwithsuchforceagainstherpaperthatthenoteshewasmakingbecameanunsightlyblot。
Well，ifthisiswhatthatmancallsbeing`comfortablyindifferent，’I’dhatetotrythe_un_comfortablekind，’shemutteredwithemphasis。
CHAPTERIX
THEDINNERBILLYTRIEDTOGET
NotwithstandingwhatBillywasdisposedtoregardasthenon-successofherfirstattempttoprofitbytheTalktoYoungWives；’shestillfranticallytriedtoavertthewaningofherhoneymoon。
Assiduouslyshecultivatedtheprescribedindifference，’andwithatleastapparententhusiasmshesoughtthemuch-to-be-desiredoutsideinterests。’Thatis，shedidallthiswhenshethoughtofitwhensomethingremindedheroftheswordofdestructionhangingoverherhappiness。Atothertimes，whenshewasjustbeinghappywithoutquestion，shewasheroldselfimpulsive，affectionate，andaltogetheradorable。
Naturally，underthesecircumstances，herconductwassomewhaterratic。Forthreedays，perhaps，shewouldflytothedooratherhusband’sring，andhanguponhiseverymovement。Then，forthenextthree，shewouldbeaveritablewill-o’-
the-wispforelusiveness，caring，apparently，notonewhitwhetherherhusbandcameorwentuntilpoorBertram，athiswit’send，scourgedhimselfwithamercilesscatechismastowhathehaddonetovexher。Then，perhaps，justwhenhehadnervedhimselfalmosttothepointofaskingherwhatwasthetrouble，therewouldcomeanotherchange，bringingbacktohimtheoldBilly，joyous，winsome，anddevoted，plainlycaringnothingforanybodyoranythingbuthimself。Scarcely，however，wouldhebecomesurethatitwashisBillybackagainbeforeshewasoffoncemore，quitebeyondhisreach，singingwithArkwrightandAliceGreggory，playingwithTommyDunn，plungingintosomecluborchurchwork——anythingbutbeingwithhim。
ThatallthiswaspuzzlinganddisquietingtoBertram，Billynotoncesuspected。Billy，sofarasshewasconcerned，wasbutcultivatingacomfortableindifference，brushingupagainstoutsideinterests，andbeinganoak。
Decemberpassed，andJanuarycame，bringingMissMargueriteWinthroptoherBostonhome。