\"AndnowI’mreadytoseemyfriends，\"sheannounced.
\"AndIthinkyourfriendswillbereadytoseeyou，\"Bertramassuredher.
Andtheywere——atleast，soitappeared.ForatoncethelittlehouseperchedonthehillsidebecametheMeccaformanyoftheHenshaws’friendswhohadknownBillyasWilliam’smerry，eighteen—
year—oldnamesake.Therewereothers，too，whomBillyhadmetabroad;andthereweresoft—stepping，sweet—facedoldwomenandanoccasionalwhite—whiskeredoldman——AuntHannah’sfriends——whofoundthattheyoungmistressofHillsidewasacharminghostess.
TherewerealsotheHenshaw\"boys，\"andtherewasalwaysCalderwell——atleast，soBertramdeclaredtohimselfsometimes.
Bertramcamefrequentlytothelittlehouseonthehill，evenmorefrequentlythanWilliam;butCyrilwasnotseentheresooften.Hecameonceatfirst，itistrue，andfollowedBillyfromroomtoroomassheproudlydisplayedhernewhome.Heshowedpoliteinterestinherview，andaperfunctoryenjoymentoftheteashepreparedforhim.Buthedidnotcomeagainforsometime，andwhenhedidcome，hesatstifflysilent，whilehisbrothersdidmostofthetalking.
AstoCalderwell——Calderwellseemedsuddenlytohavelosthisinterestinimpenetrableforestsandunclimbablemountains.
NothingmoreintricatethanthelongBeaconStreetboulevard，ormoreinaccessiblethanCoreyHillseemedworthexploring，apparently.AccordingtoCalderwell’sownversionofit，hehad\"settleddown\";hewasgoingto\"besomethingthatwassomething.\"
AndhedidspendsundryofhismorninghoursinaBostonlawofficewithponderous，calf—boundvolumesspreadinimposingarrayonthedeskbeforehim.Otherhours——manyhours——hespentwithBilly.
Oneday，verysoon，infact，aftershearrivedinBoston，BillyaskedCalderwellabouttheHenshaws.
\"Tellmeaboutthem，\"shesaid.\"Tellmewhattheyhavebeendoingalltheseyears.\"
\"Tellyouaboutthem！Why，don’tyouknow？\"
Sheshookherhead.
\"No.Cyrilsaysnothing.Williamlittlemore——aboutthemselves;
andyouknowwhatBertramis.Onecanhardlyseparatesensefromnonsensewithhim.\"
\"Youdon’tknow，then，howsplendidlyBertramhasdonewithhisart？\"
\"No;onlyfromthemostcasualhearsay.Hashedonewellthen？\"
\"Finely！Thepublichasbeenhisforyears，andnowthecriticsaretumblingovereachothertodohimhonor.Theyraveabouthis’sensitive，brilliant，nervoustouch，’——whateverthatmaybe;his’marvelouscolorsense’;his’beautyoflineandpose.’Andtheyquarreloverwhetherit’srealismoridealismthatconstituteshischarm.\"
\"I’msoglad！Andisitstillthe’FaceofaGirl’？\"
\"Yes;onlyhe’sdoingstraightportraiturenowaswell.It’sgottobequitethethingtobe’done’byHenshaw;andthere’smanyafairladythathasgraciouslycommissionedhimtopaintherportrait.He’safinefellow，too——amightyfinefellow.Youmaynotknow，perhaps，butthreeorfouryearsagohewas——well，notwild，but’frolicsome，’hewouldprobablyhavecalledit.Hegotinwithalotoffellowsthat——well，thatweren’tgoodforachapofBertram’stemperament.\"
\"Like——Mr.Seaver？\"
Calderwellturnedsharply.
\"DidYOUknowSeaver？\"hedemandedinobvioussurprise.
\"IusedtoSEEhim——withBertram.\"
\"Oh！Well，heWASoneofthem，unfortunately.ButBertramshippedhimyearsago.\"
Billygaveasuddenradiantsmile——butshechangedthesubjectatonce.
\"AndMr.Williamstillcollects，Isuppose，\"sheobserved.
\"Jove！Ishouldsayhedid！I’veforgottenthelatest;buthe’safinefellow，too，likeBertram.\"
\"And——Mr.Cyril？\"
Calderwellfrowned.
\"Thatchap’saposerforme，Billy，andnomistake.Ican’tmakehimout！\"
\"What’sthematter？\"
\"Idon’tknow.ProbablyI’mnot’tunedtohispitch.’BertramtoldmeoncethatCyrilwasverysensitivelystrung，andneverrespondeduntilacertainnotewasstruck.Well，Ihaven’teverfoundthatnote，Ireckon.\"
Billylaughed.
\"IneverheardBertramsaythat，butIthinkIknowwhathemeans;
andhe’sright，too.IbegintorealizenowwhatajanglingdiscordImusthavecreatedwhenItriedtoharmonizewithhimthreeyearsago！Butwhatishedoinginhismusic？\"
Theothershruggedhisshoulders.
\"Samething.Playsoccasionally，andplayswell，too;buthe’ssoerraticit’sdifficulttogethimtodoit.Everythingmustbejustso，youknow——air，light，piano，andaudience.He’sgotanotherbookout，I’mtold——aprofoundtreatiseonsomebody’ssomethingorother——musical，ofcourse.\"
\"Andheusedtowritemusic;doesn’thedothatanymore？\"
\"Ibelieveso.Ihearofitoccasionallythroughmusicalfriendsofmine.Theyevenplayittomesometimes.ButIcan’tstandformuchofit——hisstuff——really，Billy.\"
\"’Stuff’indeed！Andwhynot？\"AnoddhostilityshowedinBilly’seyes.
AgainCalderwellshruggedhisshoulders.
\"Don’taskme.Idon’tknow.Butthey’realwaysdeadslow，somberthings，withthewailofalostspiritshriekingthroughthem.\"
\"ButIjustlovelostspiritsthatwail，\"avowedBilly，withmorethanashadeofreproachinhervoice.
Calderwellstared;thenheshookhishead.
\"Notinmine，thankyou;\"heretortedwhimsically.\"Iprefermyspiritsofamoresaneandcheerfulsort.\"
Thegirllaughed，butalmostinstantlyshefellsilent.
\"I’vebeenwondering，\"shebeganmusingly，afteratime，\"whysomeoneofthosethreemendoesnot——marry.\"
\"Youwouldn’twonder——ifyouknewthembetter，\"declaredCalderwell.
\"Nowthink.Let’sbeginatthetopoftheStrata——bytheway，Bertram’snameforthatestablishmentismightyclever！First，Cyril：accordingtoBertramCyrilhates’allkindsofwomenandotherconfusion’;andIfancyBertramhitsitaboutright.SothatsettlesCyril.Thenthere’sWilliam——youknowWilliam.AnygirlwouldsayWilliamwasadear;butWilliamisn’taMARRYINGman.Dadsays，\"——Calderwell’svoicesoftenedalittle——\"dadsaysthatWilliamandhisyoungwifewerethemostdevotedcouplethatheeversaw;
andthatwhenshediedsheseemedtotakewithherthewholeofWilliam’sheart——thatis，whathadn’tgonewiththebabyafewyearsbefore.Therewasaboy，youknow，thatdied.\"
\"Yes，Iknow，\"noddedBilly，quicktearsinhereyes.\"AuntHannahtoldme.\"
\"Well，thatcountsoutWilliam，then，\"saidCalderwell，withanairoffinality.
\"ButhowaboutBertram？Youhaven’tsettledBertram，\"laughedBilly，archly.
\"Bertram！\"Calderwell’seyeswidened.\"Billy，canyouimagineBertram’smakingloveinrealearnesttoagirl？\"
\"Why，I——don’t——know;maybe！\"Billytippedherheadfromsidetosideasifshewereviewingapicturesetupforherinspection.
\"Well，Ican’t.Inthefirstplace，nogirlwouldthinkhewasserious;orifbyanychanceshedid，she’dsoondiscoverthatitwastheturnofherheadorthetiltofherchinthatheadmired——
TOPAINT.Nowisn’tthatso？\"
Billylaughed，butshedidnotanswer.
\"Itis，andyouknowit，\"declaredCalderwell.\"Andthatsettleshim.Nowyoucansee，perhaps，whynoneofthesemen——willmarry.\"
ItwasalongminutebeforeBillyspoke.
\"Notabitofit.Idon’tseeitatall，\"shedeclaredwithroguishmerriment.\"Moreover，Ithinkthatsomeday，someoneofthem——willmarry，SirDoubtful！\"
Calderwellthrewaquickglanceintohereyes.Evidentlysomethinghesawtheresentaswiftshadowtohisown.Hewaitedamoment，thenaskedabruptly：
\"Billy，WON’Tyoumarryme？\"
Billyfrowned，thoughhereyesstilllaughed.
\"Hugh，Itoldyounottoaskmethatagain，\"shedemurred.
\"AndItoldyounottoaskimpossibilitiesofme，\"heretortedimperturbably.\"Billy，won’tyou，now——seriously？\"
\"Seriously，no，Hugh.Pleasedon’tletusgoalloverthatagainwhenwe’vedoneitsomanytimes.\"
\"No，let’sdon’t，\"agreedtheman，cheerfully.\"Andwedon’thaveto，either，ifyou’llonlysay’yes，’nowrightaway，withoutanymorefuss.\"
Billysighedimpatiently.
\"Hugh，won’tyouunderstandthatI’mserious？\"shecried;thensheturnedsuddenly，withapeculiarflashinhereyes.
\"Hugh，Idon’tbelieveBertramhimselfcouldmakeloveanymorenonsensicallythanyoucan！\"
Calderwelllaughed，buthefrowned，too;andagainhethrewintoBilly’sfacethatkeenlyquestioningglance.Hesaidsomething——alightsomething——thatbroughtthelaughtoBilly’slipsinspiteofherself;buthewasstillfrowningwhenheleftthehousesomeminuteslater，andtheshadowwasnotgonefromhiseyes.
CHAPTERXXIII
BERTRAMDOESSOMEQUESTIONING
Billy’stimewaswelloccupied.Thereweresomany，manythingsshewishedtodo，andsofew，fewhoursinwhichtodothem.Firsttherewashermusic.ShemadearrangementsatoncetostudywithoneofBoston’sbestpianoteachers，andshealsomadeplanstocontinueherFrenchandGerman.Shejoinedamusicalclub，aliteraryclub，andamorestrictlysocialclub;andtonumerouschurchcharitiesandphilanthropicenterprisesshelentmorethanhername，givingfreelyofbothtimeandmoney.
Fridayafternoons，ofcourse，weretobeheldsacredtotheSymphonyconcerts;andoncertainWednesdaymorningstherewastobeaseriesofrecitals，inwhichshewasgreatlyinterested.
ForSocietywithacapitalS，Billycaredlittle;butforsociabilitywithasmalls，shecaredmuch;andverywidesheopenedherdoorstoherfriends，lavishinguponthemawealthofhospitality.Nordidtheyallcomeincarriagesorautomobiles——
thesefriends.Acertainpale—facedlittlewidowoverattheSouthEndknewjusthowgoodMissNeilson’steatastedonacrispOctoberafternoonandMarieHawthorn，afrailyoungwomanwhogavemusiclessons，knewjusthowrestfulwasMissNeilson’scouchafterawearydayoflongwalksandfretfulpupils.
\"Buthowintheworlddoyoudiscoverthemall——theseforlornspecimensofhumanity？\"queriedBertramoneevening，whenhehadfoundBillyentertainingafreckled—facedmessenger—boywithaplateoficecreamandabigsquareofcake.
\"Anywhere——everywhere，\"smiledBilly.
\"Well，thislastcandidateforyourfavor，whohasjustgone——who’she？\"
\"Idon’tknow，beyondthathisnameis’Tom，’andthathelikesicecream.\"
\"Andyouneversawhimbefore？\"
\"Never.\"
\"Humph！Onewouldn’tthinkit，toseehischarmingairofnonchalantaccustomedness.\"
\"Oh，butitdoesn’ttakemuchtomakealittlefellowlikethatfeelathome，\"laughedBilly.
\"Andareyouinthehabitoffeedingeveryonewhocomestoyourhouse，onicecreamandchocolatecake？Ithoughtthatstonedoorstepofyourswaslookingalittleworn.\"
\"Notabitofit，\"retortedBilly.\"ThislittlechapcamewithamessagejustasIwasfinishingdinner.Theicecreamwasparticularlygoodto—night，anditoccurredtomethathemightlikeataste;soIgaveittohim.\"
Bertramraisedhiseyebrowsquizzically.
\"Verykind，ofcourse;but——whyicecream？\"hequestioned.\"I
thoughtitwasroastbeefandboiledpotatoesthatwassupposedtobehandedouttogaunt—eyedhunger.\"
\"Itis，\"noddedBilly，\"andthat’swhyIthinksometimesthey’dlikeicecreamandchocolatefrosting.Besides，togivesugarplumsonedoesn’thavetounwindyardsofredtape，orworryabout’pauperizingthepoor.’Togiveredflannelsandatonofcoal，onemustbeproperlycircumspectandconsultrecordsandcitymissionaries，ofcourse;andthat’swhyit’ssuchareliefsometimesjusttohandoverasimplelittlesugarplumandseethemsmile.\"
ForaminuteBertramwassilent，thenheaskedabruptly：
\"Billy，whydidyouleavetheStrata？\"
Billywastakenquitebysurprise.Apinkflushspreadtoherforehead，andhertonguestumbledatfirstoverherreply.
\"Why，I——itseemed——you——why，IlefttogotoHampdenFalls，tobesure.Don’tyouremember？\"shefinishedgaily.
\"Oh，yes，IrememberTHAT，\"concededBertramwithdisdainfulemphasis.\"ButwhydidyougotoHampdenFalls？\"
\"Why，it——itwastheonlyplacetogo——thatis，IWANTEDtogothere，\"shecorrectedhastily.\"Didn’tAuntHannahtellyouthatI——Iwashomesicktogetbackthere？\"
\"Oh，yes，AuntHannahSAIDthat，\"observedtheman;\"butwasn’tthathomesicknessalittle——sudden？\"
Billyblushedpinkagain.
\"Why，maybe;but——well，homesicknessisalwaysmoreorlesssudden;
isn’tit？\"sheparried.
Bertramlaughed，buthiseyesgrewsuddenlyalmosttender.
\"Seehere，Billy，youcan’tbluffworthacent，\"hedeclared.\"Youaremuchtoorefreshinglyfrankforthat.Somethingwasthetrouble.Nowwhatwasit？Won’tyoutellme，please？\"
Billypouted.Shehesitatedandgazedanywherebutintothechallengingeyesbeforeher.Thenverysuddenlyshelookedstraightintothem.
\"Verywell，thereWASareasonformyleaving，\"sheconfessedalittlebreathlessly.\"I——didn’twantto——botheryouanymore——allofyou.\"
\"Botherus！\"
\"No.Ifoundout.Youcouldn’tpaint;Mr.Cyrilcouldn’tplayorwrite;and——andeverythingwasdifferentbecauseIwasthere.ButIdidn’tblameyou——no，no！\"sheassuredhimhastily.\"ItwasonlythatI——foundout.\"
\"AndmayIaskHOWyouobtainedthismostextraordinaryinformation？\"
demandedBertram，savagely.
Billyshookherhead.Herroundlittlechinlookedsuddenlysquareanddetermined.
\"Youmayask，butIshallnottell，\"shedeclaredfirmly.
IfBertramhadknownBillyjustalittlebetterhewouldhaveletthematterdropthere;buthedidnotknowBilly，soheasked：
\"WasitanythingIdid——orsaid？\"
Thegirldidnotanswer.
\"Billy，wasit？\"Bertram’svoiceshowedterrornow.
Billylaughedunexpectedly.
\"DoyouthinkI’mgoingtosay’no’toaseriesofquestions，andthengivethewholethingawaybymysilencewhenyoucometotherightone？\"shedemandedmerrily.\"No，sir！\"
\"Well，anyhow，itwasn’tI，then，\"sighedthemaninrelief;\"foryoujustobservedthatyouwerenotgoingtosay’notoaseriesofquestions’——andthatwasthefirstone.SoI’vefoundoutthatmuch，anyhow，\"heconcludedtriumphantly.
Thegirleyedhimforamomentinsilence;thensheshookherhead.
\"I’mnotgoingtobecaughtthatway，either，\"shesmiled.\"Youknow——justwhatyoudidinthefirstplaceaboutit：nothing.\"
Themanstirredrestlesslyandpondered.Afteralongpauseheadoptednewtactics.Withasearchingstudyofherfacetonotetheslightestchange，heenumerated：
\"WasitCyril，then？Will？AuntHannah？Kate？Itcouldn’thavebeenPete，orDongLing！\"
Billystillsmiledinscrutably.AtnonamehadBertramdetectedsomuchastheflickerofaneyelid;andwithaglancehalf—admiring，half—chagrined，hefellbackintohischair.
\"I’llgiveitup.You’vewon，\"heacknowledged.\"But，Billy，\"——
hismannerchangedsuddenly——\"IwonderifyouknowjustwhataholeyouleftintheStratawhenyouwentaway.\"
\"ButIcouldn’thave——inthewholeStrata，\"objectedBilly.\"I
occupiedonlyonestratum，andastratumdoesn’tgoupanddown，youknow，onlyacross;andminewasthesecondfloor.\"
Bertramgaveaslowshakeofhishead.
\"Iknow;butyourswasafreakformation，\"hemaintainedgravely.
\"ItDIDgoupanddown.Honestly，Billy，wedidcare——lots.WillandIwereinconsolable，andevenCyrilplayeddirgesforaweek.\"
\"Didhe？\"gurgledBilly，withsuddenjoyousness.\"I’msoglad！\"
\"Thankyou，\"murmuredBertram，disapprovingly.\"Wehadn’tconsidereditasubjectforexultation.\"
\"What？Oh，Ididn’tmeanthat！Thatis——\"shestoppedhelplessly.
\"Oh，nevermindabouttryingtoexplain，\"interposedBertram.\"I
fancytheremedywouldbeworsethanthedisease，inthiscase.\"
\"Nonsense！IonlymeantthatIliketobemissed——sometimes，\"
retortedBilly，alittlenettled.
\"Andyourejoicethentohavememope，Cyrilplaydirges，andWillwandermournfullyaboutthehousewithSpunkieinhisarms！YoushouldhaveseenWilliam.Ifhisforlornnessdidnotbringtearstoyoureyes，thegraceofthepinkbowthatloppedbehindSpunkie’sleftearwouldsurelyhavebroughtacopiousflow.\"
Billylaughed，buthereyesgrewtender.
\"DidUncleWilliamdo——that？\"sheasked.
\"Hedid——andhedidmore.Petetoldmeafteratimethatyouhadnotleftonethinginthehouse，anywhere;butoneday，overbehindWilliam’smosttreasuredLowestoft，Ifoundasmallshellhairpin，andaflatbrownsilkbuttonthatIrecognizedascomingfromoneofyourdresses.\"
\"Oh！\"saidBilly，softly.\"DearUncleWilliam——andhowgoodhewastome！\"
CHAPTERXXIV
CYRIL，THEENIGMA
PerhapsitwasbecauseBillysawsolittleofCyrilthatitwasCyrilwhomshewishedparticularlytosee.William，Bertram，Calderwell——allherotherfriendscamefrequentlytothelittlehouseonthehill，Billytoldherself;onlyCyrilheldaloof——anditwasCyrilthatshewanted.
Billysaidthatitwashismusic;thatshewantedtohearhimplay，andthatshewantedhimtohearher.Shefeltgrievedandchagrined.Notoncesinceshehadcomehadheseemedinterested——
reallyinterestedinhermusic.Hehadaskedher，itistrue，inaperfunctorywaywhatshehaddone，andwhoherteachershadbeen.
Butallthewhileshewasansweringshehadfeltthathewasnotlistening;thathedidnotcare.Andshecaredsomuch！Sheknewnowthatallherpractisingthroughthelonghardmonthsofstudy，hadbeenforCyril.Everyscalehadbeensmoothedforhisears，andeveryphrasehadbeeninterpretedwithhisapprobationinview.
Acrossthewidewasteofwatershisfacehadshonelikeastarofpromise，beckoningheronandontoheightsunknownAndnowshewashereinBoston，butshecouldnotevenplaythescale，norinterpretthephrasefortheeartowhichtheyhadbeensolaboriouslyattuned;andCyril’sface，intheflesh，wasnobeckoningstarofpromise，butwasathingascoldandrelentlessaswasthewasteofwatersacrosswhichithadshoneinthepast.
Billydidnotunderstandit.Sheknew，itistrue，ofCyril’sreputedaversiontowomeningeneralandtonoise;butshewasneitherwomeningeneralnornoise，shetoldherselfindignantly.
Shewasonlythelittlemaid，grownthreeyearsolder，whohadsatathisfeetandadoringlylistenedtoallthathehadbeenpleasedtosayintheolddaysatthetopoftheStrata.Andhehadbeenkindthen——verykind，Billydeclaredstoutly.Hehadbeenpatientandinterested，too，andhehadseemednotonlywilling，butgladtoteachher，whilenow——
SometimesBillythoughtshewouldaskhimcandidlywhatwasthematter.Butitwasalwaystheold，frankBillythatthoughtthis;
theimpulsiveBilly，thathadgoneuptoCyril’sroomsyearsbeforeandcheerfullyannouncedthatshehadcometogetacquainted.Itwasneverthesensible，circumspectBillythatAuntHannahhadforthreeyearsbeenshapingandcoaxingintobeing.ButeventhisBillyfrownedrebelliously，anddeclaredthatsometimesomethingshouldbesaidthatwouldatleastgivehimachancetoexplain.
InalltheweekssinceBilly’spurchaseofHillside，Cyrilhadbeenthereonlytwice，anditwasnearlyThanksgivingnow.Billyhadseenhimonceortwice，also，attheBeaconStreethouse，whensheandAuntHannahhaddinedthere;butonalltheseoccasionshehadbeeneitherthecoldlyreservedguestorthepainfullypunctilioushost.Neverhadhebeenintheleastapproachable.
\"HetreatsmeexactlyashetreatedpoorlittleSpunkthatfirstnight，\"Billydeclaredhotlytoherself.
OnlyoncesinceshecamehadBillyheardCyrilplay，andthatwaswhenshehadsharedtheprivilegewithhundredsofothersatapublicconcert.Shehadsatthenentranced，withhereyesontheclean—cuthandsomeprofileofthemanwhoplayedwithsosureaskillandpower，yetwithoutanotebeforehim.Afterwardshehadmethimfacetoface，andhadtriedtotellhimhowmovedshewas;
butinheragitation，andbecauseofastrangeshynessthathadsuddenlycometoher，shehadendedonlyinstammeringoutsomeflippantbanalitythathadbroughttohisfacemerelyaboredsmileofacknowledgment.
Twiceshehadaskedhimtoplayforher;buteachtimehehadbeggedtobeexcused，courteously，butdecidedly.
\"It’snousetotease，\"Bertramhadinterposedonce，withanairywaveofhishands.\"Thislionalwaysdidrefusetoroartoorder.
Ifyoureallymusthearhim，you’llhavetoslipup—stairsandcampoutsidehisdoor，waitingpatientlyforsuchcrumbsasmayfallfromhistable.\"
\"Aren’tyourmetaphorsalittlemixed？\"questionedCyrilirritably.
\"Yes，sir，\"acknowledgedBertramwithunruffledtemper.\"butI
don’tmindifBillydoesn’t.Ionlymeanthertounderstandthatshe’dhavetodoassheusedtodo——listenoutsideyourdoor.\"
Billy’scheeksreddened.
\"ButthatiswhatIsha’n’tdo，\"sheretortedwithspirit.\"And，moreover，Istillhavehopesthatsomedayhe’llplaytome.\"
\"Maybe，\"concededBertram，doubtfully;\"ifthestoolandthepianoandthepedalsandtheweatherandhisfingersandyourearsandmywatcharealljustright——thenhe’llplay.\"
\"Nonsense！\"scowledCyril.\"I’llplay，ofcourse，someday.ButI’drathernottoday.\"Andtherethematterhadended.SincethenBillyhadnotaskedhimtoplay.
CHAPTERXXV
THEOLDROOM——ANDBILLY
ThanksgivingwastobeagreatdayintheHenshawfamily.TheHenshawbrothersweretoentertain.BillyandAuntHannahhadbeeninvitedtodinner;andsojoyouslyhospitablewasWilliam’sinvitationthatitwouldhaveincludedthenewkittenandthecanaryifBillywouldhaveconsentedtobringthem.
OncemorePetesweptandgarnishedthehouse，andoncemoreDongLingspoileduncountedsquaresofchocolatetryingtomakethebafflingfudge.BertramsaidthattheentireStratawasa—quiver.
NotbutthatBillyandAuntHannahhadvisitedtherebefore，butthatthiswasdifferent.Theyweretocomeatnoonthistime.
Thisvisitwasnottobeatantalizinglittlepieceofstiffnessanhourandahalflong.Itwastobeasatisfying，whole—souledmatterofhalfaday’scomradeship，almostlikeoldtimes.Sooncemoretherosesgracedtherooms，andaflaringpinkbowadornedSpunkie’sfatneck;andoncemoreBertramplacedhislatest\"FaceofaGirl\"inthebestpossiblelight.Therewasstilladifference，however，forthistimeCyrildidnotbringanymusicdowntothepiano，nordisplayanywhereacopyofhisnewestbook.
Thedinnerwastobeatthreeo’clock，butbyspecialinvitationtheguestsweretoarriveattwelve;andpromptlyattheappointedhourtheycame.
\"There，thisissomethinglike，\"exultedBertram，whentheladies，divestedoftheirwraps，toastedtheirfeetbeforetheopenfireinhisden.
\"Indeeditis，fornowI’vetimetoseeeverything——everythingyou’vedonesinceI’vebeengone，\"criedBilly，gazingeagerlyabouther.
\"Hm—m;well，THATwasn’twhatImeant，\"shruggedBertram.
\"Ofcoursenot;butit’swhatImeant，\"retortedBilly.\"Andthereareotherthings，too.Iexpecttherearehalfadozennew’OldBlues’andblackbasaltsthatIwanttosee;eh，UncleWilliam？\"
shefinished，smilingintotheeyesofthemanwhohadbeengazingatherwithdotingprideforthelastfiveminutes.
\"Ho！Willisn’tonteapotsnow，\"quothBertram，beforehisbrotherhadachancetoreply.\"Youmightdangletheoldest’OldBlue’
thateverwasbeforehimnow，andhe’dpayscantattentionifhehappenedatthesametimetogethiseyesonsomeoldpewterchainwithagreenstoneinit.\"
Billylaughed;butatthelookofgenuinedistressthatcameintoWilliam’sface，shesoberedatonce.
\"Don’tyoulethimteaseyou，UncleWilliam，\"shesaidquickly.
\"I’msurepewterchainswithgreenstonesinthemsoundjustawfullyinteresting，andIwanttoseethemrightawaynow.Come，\"
shefinished，springingtoherfeet，\"takemeup—stairs，please，andshowthemtome.\"
Williamshookhisheadandsaid，\"No，no！\"protestingthatwhathehadwerescarcelyworthherattention;butevenwhilehetalkedherosetohisfeetandadvancedhalfeagerly，halfreluctantly，towardthedoor.
\"Nonsense，\"saidBilly，fondly，asshelaidherhandonhisarm.
\"Iknowtheyareverymuchworthseeing.Come！\"Andsheledthewayfromtheroom.\"Oh，oh！\"sheexclaimedafewmomentslater，asshestoodbeforeasmallcabinetinoneofWilliam’srooms.\"Oh，oh，howpretty！\"
\"Doyoulikethem？Ithoughtyouwould，\"triumphedWilliam，quickjoydrivingawaytheanxiousfearinhiseyes.\"Yousee，I——I
thoughtofyouwhenIgotthem——everyoneofthem.Ithoughtyou’dlikethem.ButIhaven’tverymany，yet，ofcourse.Thisisthelatestone.\"Andhetenderlyliftedfromitsblackvelvetmatacurioussilvernecklacemadeofsmall，flat，chain—linkeddisks，heavilychased，andsetatregularintervalswithastrange，blue—
greenstone.
Billyhungaboveitenraptured.
\"Oh，whatabeauty！Andthis，Isuppose，isBertram’s’pewterchain’！’Pewter，’indeed！\"shescoffed.\"Tellme，UncleWilliam，wheredidyougetit？\"
AnduncleWilliamtold，happily，thirstily，drinkinginBilly’sevidentinterestwithdelight.Therewere，too，aquaintly—setringandacat’s—eyebrooch;andtoeachbelongedastorywhichWilliamwasequallygladtotell.Therewereothertreasures，also：buckles，rings，brooches，andnecklaces，someofdullgold，someofequallydullsilver;butallofodddesignandcuriousworkmanship，studdedhereandtherewithbitsofred，green，yellow，blue，andflame—coloredstones.VerylearnedlythenfromWilliam’slipsfellthenewvocabularythathadcometohimwithhislatesttreasures：chrysoprase，carnelian，girasol，onyx，plasma，sardonyx，lapislazuli，tourmaline，chrysolite，hyacinth，andcarbuncle.
\"Theyarelovely，perfectlylovely！\"breathedBilly，whenthelastchainhadslippedthroughherfingersintoWilliam’shand.\"I
thinktheyaretheverynicestthingsyouevercollected.\"
\"SodoI，\"agreedtheman，emphatically.\"Andtheyare——different，too.\"
\"Theyare，\"saidBilly，\"very——different.\"Butshewasnotlookingatthejewelry：hereyeswereonasmallshellhairpinandabrownsilkbuttonhalfhiddenbehindaLowestoftteapot.
Onthewaydown—stairsWilliamstoppedamomentatBilly’soldrooms.
\"Iwishyouwereherenow，\"hesaidwistfully.\"They’reallreadyforyou——theserooms.\"
\"Oh，butwhydon’tyouusethem？——suchprettyrooms！\"criedBilly，quickly.
Williamgaveagestureofdissent.
\"Wehavenouseforthem;besides，theybelongtoyouandAuntHannah.Youleftyourimprintlongago，mydear——weshouldnotfeelathomeinthem.\"
\"Oh，butyoushould！Youmustn’tfeellikethat！\"objectedBilly，hurriedlycrossingtheroomtothewindowtohideasuddennervousnessthathadassailedher.\"Andhere’smypiano，too，andopen！\"shefinishedgaily，droppingherselfuponthepianostoolanddashingintoabrilliantmazourka.
Billy，likeCyril，hadawayofworkingoffhermoodsatherfingertips;andto—daythetrippingnotesandcrashingchordstoldofanervousexcitementthatwasnotalljoy.FromthedoorwayWilliamwatchedherflyingfingerswithfondpride，anditwasveryreluctantlythatheaccededtoPete’srequesttogodown—stairsforamomenttosettleavexedquestionconcerningthetabledecorations.
Billy，leftalone，stillplayed，butwithadifference.Thetrippingnotesslowedintoaweirdmelodythatroseandfellandlostitselfintheexquisiteharmonythathadbeenbornofthecrashingchords.Billywasimprovisingnow，andintohermusichadcreptsomethingofherold—timelongingwhenshehadcometothathousealonely，orphangirl，insearchofahome.Onandonsheplayed;thenwithadiscordantnote，shesuddenlyrosefromthepiano.ShewasthinkingofKate，andwonderingif，hadKatenot\"managed\"thelittleroomwouldstillbehome.
SoswiftlydidBillycrosstothedoorthatthemanonthestairsoutsidehadnottimetogetquiteoutofsight.Billydidnotseehisface，however;shesawonlyapairofgray—trouseredlegsdisappearingaroundthecurveofthelandingabove.Shethoughtnothingofituntillaterwhendinnerwasannounced，andCyrilcamedown—stairs;thenshesawthathe，andheonly，thatafternoonworetrousersofthatparticularshadeofgray.
Thedinnerwasagreatsuccess.Eventhechocolatefudgeinthelittlecutglassbonbondisheswasperfect;anditwasaquestionwhetherPeteorDongLingtriedthehardertoplease.
Afterdinnerthefamilygatheredinthedrawing—roomandchattedpleasantly.Bertramdisplayedhisprettiestandnewestpictures，andBillyplayedandsung——bright，tunefullittlethingsthatsheknewAuntHannahandUncleWilliamliked.IfCyrilwaspleasedordispleased，hedidnotshowit——butBillyhadceasedtoplayforCyril’sears.Shetoldherselfthatshedidnotcare;butshedidwonder：wasthatCyrilonthestairs，andifso——whatwashedoingthere？
CHAPTERXXVI
\"MUSICHATHCHARMS\"
TwodaysafterThanksgivingCyrilcalledatHillside.
\"I’vecometohearyouplay，\"heannouncedabruptly.
Billy’sheartsungwithinher——buthertemperrose.Didhethinkthenthathehadbuttobeckonandshewouldcome——andatthislateday，sheaskedherself.Aloudshesaid：
\"Play？Butthisis’sosudden’！Besides，youhaveheardme.\"
Themanmadeadisdainfulgesture.
\"Notthat.Imeanplay——reallyplay.Billy，whyhaven’tyouplayedtomebefore？\"
Billy’schinroseperceptibly.
\"Whyhaven’tyouaskedme？\"sheparried.
ToBilly’ssurprisethemanansweredthiswithcalmdirectness.
\"BecauseCalderwellsaidthatyouwereadandyplayer，andIdon’tcarefordandyplayers.\"
Billylaughednow.
\"AndhowdoyouknowI’mnotadandyplayer，SirImpertinent？\"shedemanded.
\"BecauseI’veheardyou——whenyouweren’t.\"
\"Thankyou，\"murmuredBilly.
Cyrilshruggedhisshoulders.
\"Oh，youknowverywellwhatImean，\"hedefended.\"I’veheardyou;that’sall.\"
\"When？\"
\"Thatdoesn’tsignify.\"
Billywassilentforamoment，hereyesgravelystudyinghisface.
Thensheasked：
\"Wereyoulong——onthatstairway？\"
\"Eh？What？Oh！\"Cyril’sforeheadgrewsuddenlypink.\"Well？\"hefinishedalittleaggressively.
\"Oh，nothing，\"smiledthegirl.\"Ofcoursepeoplewholiveinglasshousesmustnotthrowstones.\"
\"Verywellthen，Ididlisten，\"acknowledgedtheman，testily.\"I
likedwhatyouwereplaying.Ihoped，down—stairslater，thatyou’dplayitagain;butyoudidn’t.Icameto—daytohearit.\"
AgainBilly’sheartsungwithinher——butagainhertemperrose，too.
\"Idon’tthinkIfeellikeit，\"shesaidsweetly，withashakeofherhead.\"Notto—day.\"
ForabriefmomentCyrilstaredfrowningly;thenhisfacelightedwithhisraresmile.
\"I’mfairlycheckmated，\"hesaid，risingtohisfeetandgoingstraighttothepiano.
Forlongminutesheplayed，modulatingfromoneenchantingcompositiontoanother，andfinishingwiththeone\"allchordswithbigbassnotes\"thatmarchedonandon——theoneBillyhadsatlongagoonthestairstohear.
\"There！Nowwillyouplayforme？\"heasked，risingtohisfeet，andturningreproachfuleyesuponher.
Billy，too，rosetoherfeet.Herfacewasflushedandhereyeswereshining.Herlipsquiveredwithemotion.Aswasalwaysthecase，Cyril’smusichadcarriedherquiteoutofherself.
\"Oh，thankyou，thankyou，\"shesighed.\"Youdon’tknow——youcan’tknowhowbeautifulitallis——tome！\"
\"Thankyou.Thensurelynowyou’llplaytome，\"hereturned.
AlookofrealdistresscametoBilly’sface.
\"ButIcan’t——notwhatyouheardtheotherday，\"shecriedremorsefully.\"Yousee，Iwas——onlyimprovising.\"
Cyrilturnedquickly.
\"Onlyimprovising！Billy，didyoueverwriteitdown——anyofyourimprovising？\"
AnembarrassedredflewtoBilly’sface.
\"Not——notthatamountedto——well，thatis，some——alittle，\"shestammered.
\"Letmeseeit.\"
\"No，no，Icouldn’t——notYOU！\"
AgaintheraresmilelightedCyril’seyes.
\"Billy，letmeseethatpaper——please.\"
Veryslowlythegirlturnedtowardthemusiccabinet.Shehesitated，glancedoncemoreappealinglyintoCyril’sface，thenwithnervoushasteopenedthelittlemahoganydoorandtookfromoneoftheshelvesasheetofmanuscriptmusic.But，likeashychildwithherfirstcopybook，sheheldithalfbehindherbackasshecametowardthepiano.
\"Thankyou，\"saidCyrilashereachedfaroutforthemusic.Thenextmomentheseatedhimselfagainatthepiano.
Twiceheplayedthelittlesongthroughcarefully，slowly.
\"Now，singit，\"hedirected.
Falteringly，inaveryfaintvoice，andwithverymanybreathstakenwheretheyshouldnothavebeentaken，Billyobeyed.
\"Whenwewanttoshowoffyoursong，Billy，wewon’taskyoutosingit，\"observedtheman，dryly，whenshehadfinished.
Billylaughedanddimpledintoablush.
\"WhenIwanttoshowoffmysongIsha’n’tbesingingittoyouforthefirsttime，\"shepouted.
Cyrildidnotanswer.Hewasplayingoverandovercertainharmoniesinthemusicbeforehim.
\"Hm—m;Iseeyou’vestudiedyourcounterpointtosomepurpose，\"hevouchsafed，finally;then：\"Wheredidyougetthewords？\"
Thegirlhesitated.Theflushhaddeepenedonherface.
\"Well，I——\"shestoppedandgaveanembarrassedlaugh.\"I’mlikethesmallboywhomadethetoys.’Igotthemalloutofmyownhead，andthere’swoodenoughtomakeanother.’\"
\"Hm—m;indeed！\"gruntedtheman.\"Well，haveyoumadeanyothers？\"
\"One——ortwo，maybe.\"
\"Letmeseethem，please.\"
\"Ithink——we’vehadenough——fortoday，\"shefaltered.
\"Ihaven’t.Besides，ifIcouldhaveacouplemoretogowiththis，itwouldmakeaveryprettylittlegroupofsongs.\"
\"’Togowiththis’！Whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Tothepublishers，ofcourse.\"
\"ThePUBLISHERS！\"
\"Certainly.Didyouthinkyouweregoingtokeepthesesongstoyourself？\"
\"Buttheyaren’tworthit！Theycan’tbe——goodenough！\"
UnbelievingjoywasinBilly’svoice.
\"No？Well，we’llletothersdecidethat，\"observedCyril，withashrug.\"Allis，ifyou’vegotanymorewood——likethis——Iadviseyoutomakeituprightaway.\"
\"ButIhavealready！\"criedthegirl，excitedly.\"TherearelotsoflittlethingsthatI’ve——thatis，thereare——some，\"shecorrectedhastily，atthelookthatsprangintoCyril’seyes.
\"Oh，thereare，\"laughedCyril.\"Well，we’llseewhat——\"Buthedidnotsee.Hedidnotevenfinishhissentence;forBilly’smaid，Rosa，appearedjustthenwithacard.
\"ShowMr.Calderwellinhere，\"saidBilly.Cyrilsaidnothing——
aloud;whichwaswell.Histhoughts，justthen，werebetterleftunspoken.
CHAPTERXXVII
MARIE，WHOLONGSTOMAKEPUDDINGS
WonderfuldayscamethentoBilly.Foursongs，itseemed，hadbeenpronouncedbycompetentcriticsdecidedly\"worthit\"——unmistakably\"goodenough\";andtheyweretobebroughtoutassoonaspossible.
\"Ofcourseyouunderstand，\"explainedCyril，\"thatthere’sno’hit’
expected.Thankheaventheyaren’tthatsort！Andthere’snogreatmoneyinit，either.You’dhavetowriteamasterpiecelike’She’smyJu—JuBaby’orsomesuchgemtogetthe’hit’andthemoney.Butthesongsarefine，andthey’lltakewithculturedhearers.We’llgetthemintroducedbygoodsingers，ofcourse，andthey’llbefavoritessoonfortheconcertstage，andforparlors.\"
BillysawagooddealofCyrilnow.Alreadyshewasatworkrewritingandpolishingsomeofherhalf—completedmelodies，andCyrilwashelpingher，byhisinterestaswellasbyhiscriticism.
Hewas，infact，atthehouseveryfrequently——toofrequently，indeed，tosuiteitherBertramorCalderwell.EvenWilliamfrownedsometimeswhenhiscozychatswithBillywereinterruptedbyCyril’sappearingwitharollofnewmusicforherto\"try\";thoughWilliamtoldhimselfthatheoughttobethankfuliftherewasanythingthatcouldmakeCyrilmorecompanionable，lessreservedandmorose.AndCyrilWASdifferent——therewasnodisputingthat.
Calderwellsaidthathehadcome\"outofhisshell\";andBertramtoldBillythatshemusthave\"foundhisnoteandstruckitgoodandhard.\"
Billywasveryhappy.Tothelittlemusicteacher，MarieHawthorn，shetalkedmorefreely，perhaps，thanshedidtoanyoneelse.
\"It’ssowonderful，Marie——sowonderfullywonderful，\"shesaidoneday，\"tosithereinmyownroomandsingalittlesongthatcomesfromsomewhere，anywhere，outoftheskyitself.Thenbyandby，thatlittlesongwillflyaway，away，overlandandsea;andsomedayitwilltouchsomebody’sheartjustasithastouchedmine.
Oh，Marie，isitnotwonderful？\"
\"Itis，dear——anditisnot.Yoursongscouldnothelpreachingsomebody’sheart.There’snothingwonderfulinthat.\"
\"Sweetflatterer！\"
\"ButImeanit.Theyarebeautiful;andsois——Mr.Henshaw’smusic.\"
\"Yes，itis，\"murmuredBilly，abstractedly.
Therewasalongpause，thenMarieaskedwithshyhesitation：
\"Doyouthink，MissBilly——thathewouldcare？Ilistenedyesterdaywhenhewasplayingtoyou.Iwasuphereinyourroom，butwhenIheardthemusicI——Iwentout，onthestairsandsatdown.Wasitvery——badofme？\"
Billylaughedhappily.
\"Ifitwas，hecan’tsayanything，\"shereassuredher.\"He’sdonethesamethinghimself——andsohaveI.\"
\"HEhasdoneit！\"
\"Yes.ItwasathishomelastThanksgiving.Itwasthenthathefoundout——aboutmyimprovising.\"
\"Oh—h！\"Marie’seyeswerewistful.\"Andhecaressomuchnowforyourmusic！\"
\"Doeshe？Doyouthinkhedoes？\"demandedBilly.
\"Iknowhedoes——andfortheonewhomakesit，too.\"
\"Nonsense！\"laughedBilly，withpinkercheeks.\"It’sthemusic，notthemusician，thatpleaseshim.Mr.Cyrildoesn’tlikewomen.\"
\"Hedoesn’tlikewomen！\"
\"No.Butdon’tlooksoshocked，mydear.EveryonewhoknowsMr.
Cyrilknowsthat.\"
\"ButIdon’tthink——Ibelieveit，\"demurredMarie，gazingstraightintoBilly’seyes.\"I’msureIdon’tbelieveit.\"
Underthelittlemusicteacher’ssteadygazeBillyflushedagain.
Thelaughshegavewasanembarrassedone，butthroughitvibratedapleasedring.
\"Nonsense！\"sheexclaimed，springingtoherfeetandmovingrestlesslyabouttheroom.WiththenextbreathshehadchangedthesubjecttoonefarremovedfromMr.Cyrilandhislikesanddislikes.
SometimelaterBillyplayed，anditwasthenthatMariedrewalongsigh.
\"Howbeautifulitmustbetoplay——likethat，\"shebreathed.
\"Asifyou，amusicteacher，couldnotplay！\"laughedBilly.
\"Notlikethat，dear.Youknowitisnotlikethat.\"
Billyfrowned.
\"Butyouaresoaccurate，Marie，andyoucanreadatsightsorapidly！\"
\"Oh，yes，likealittlemachine，Iknow！\"scornedtheusuallygentleMarie，bitterly.\"Don’ttheyhaveathingofmetalthataddsfigureslikemagic？Well，I’mlikethat.IseegandIplayg;IseedandIplayd;IseefandIplayf;andafterI’veseenenoughg’sandd’sandf’sandplayedthemall，thethingisdone.
I’veplayed.\"
\"Why，Marie！Marie，mydear！\"Thesecondexclamationwasverytender，forMariewascrying.
\"There！IknewIshouldsomedayhaveitout——allout，\"sobbedMarie.\"Ifeltitcoming.\"
\"Thenperhapsyou’ll——you’llfeelbetternow，\"stammeredBilly.
Shetriedtosaymore——otherwordsthatwouldhavebeenarealcomfort;buthertonguerefusedtospeakthem.Sheknewsowell，sowoefullywell，howverywoodenandmechanicalthelittlemusicteacher’splayingalwayshadbeen.ButthatMarieshouldrealizeitherselflikethis——thetragedyofitmadeBilly’sheartache.
AtMarie’snextwords，however，Billycaughtherbreathinsurprise.
\"Butyouseeitwasn’tmusic——itwasn’tevermusicthatIwanted——
todo，\"sheconfessed.
\"Itwasn’tmusic！Butwhat——Idon’tunderstand，\"murmuredBilly.
\"No，Isupposenot，\"sighedtheother.\"Youplaysobeautifullyyourself.\"
\"ButIthoughtyoulovedmusic.\"
\"Ido.Iloveitdearly——inothers.ButIcan’t——Idon’twanttomakeitmyself.\"
\"Butwhatdoyouwanttodo？\"
Marielaughedsuddenly.
\"Doyouknow，mydear，IhavehalfamindtotellyouwhatIdoliketodo——justtomakeyoustare.\"
\"Well？\"Billy’seyeswerewidewithinterest.
\"Ilikebestofanythingto——darnstockingsandmakepuddings.\"
\"Marie！\"
\"Rankheresy，isn’tit？\"smiledMarie，tearfully.\"ButIdo，truly.Ilovetoweavethethreadsevenlyinandout，andseeabigholeclose.AsforthepuddingsIdon’tmeanthecommonbread—
and—butterkind，buttheonesthathavewhitesofeggsandfruit，andprettyquiveryjelliesallrubyandamberlights，youknow.\"
\"Youdearlittlepieceofdomesticity，\"laughedBilly.\"Thenwhyintheworlddon’tyoudothesethings？\"
\"Ican’t，inmyownkitchen;Ican’taffordakitchentodothemin.AndIjustcouldn’tdothem——rightalong——inotherpeople’skitchens.\"
\"Butwhydoyou——play？\"
\"Iwasbroughtuptoit.Youknowwehadmoneyonce，lotsofit，\"
sighedMarie，asifsheweredeploringamisfortune.\"Andmotherwasdeterminedtohavememusical.Eventhen，asalittletot，I
likedpudding—making，andaftermymud—piedaysIwasalwaysbeggingmothertoletmegodownintothekitchen，tocook.Butshewouldn’tallowit，ever.Sheengagedthemostexpensivemastersandsetmepractising，alwayspractising.Isimplyhadtolearnmusic;andIlearneditliketheaddingmachine.Thenafterward，whenfatherdied，andthenmother，andthemoneyflewaway，why，ofcourseIhadtodosomething，sonaturallyIturnedtothemusic.ItwasallIcoulddo.But——well，youknowhowitis，dear.Iteach，andteachwell，perhaps，sofarasthemechanicalpartgoes;butasfortherest——Iamalwayslongingforacozycornerwithabasketofstockingstomend，orakitchenwherethereisapuddingwaitingtobemade.\"
\"Youpoordear！\"criedBilly.\"I’veapairofstockingsnowthatneedsattention，andI’vebeenjustlongingforoneofyour’quiveryjelliesallrubyandamberlights’eversinceyoumentionedthem.But——well，isthereanythingIcoulddotohelp？\"
\"Nothing，thankyou，\"sighedMarie，risingwearilytoherfeet，andcoveringhereyeswithherhandforamoment.\"Myheadachesshockingly，butI’vegottogothisminuteandinstructlittleJennieKnowlshowtoplaythewonderfulscaleofGwithablackkeyinit.Besides，youdohelpme，youhavehelpedme，youarealwayshelpingme，dear，\"sheaddedremorsefully;\"andit’swickedofmetomakethatshadowcometoyoureyes.Pleasedon’tthinkofit，orofme，anymore.\"Andwithachokinglittlesobshehurriedfromtheroom，followedbytheamazed，questioning，sorrowfuleyesofBilly.
CHAPTERXXVIII
\"I’MGOINGTOWIN\"
NearlyallofBilly’sfriendsknewthatBertramHenshawwasinlovewithBillyNeilsonbeforeBillyherselfknewit.Notthattheyregardeditasanythingserious——\"it’sonlyBertram\"wasstillsaidofhimonalmostalloccasions.ButtoBertramhimselfitwasveryserious.
TheworldtoBertram，indeed，hadcometoassumeavastlydifferentaspectfromwhatithaddisplayedintimespast.Heretoforeithadbeenaplaythingwhichlikeajuggler’stinselballmightbetossedfromhandtohandatwill.Nowitwasnoplaything——noglitteringbauble.Itwassomethingbigandseriousandsplendid——becauseBillylivedinit;somethingthatdemandedallhispowerstodo，andbe——becauseBillywaswatching;somethingthatmightbeaHadesoftormentoranElysiumofbliss——accordingtowhetherBillysaid\"no\"or\"yes.\"
SinceThanksgivingBertramhadknownthatitwaslove——thisconsumingfirewithinhim;andsinceThanksgivinghehadknown，too，thatitwasjealousy——thisfiercehatredofCalderwell.Hewasashamedofthehatred.Hetoldhimselfthatitwasunmanly，unkind，andunreasonable;andhevowedthathewouldovercomeit.
Attimesheevenfanciedthathehadovercomeit;butalwaysthesightofCalderwellinBilly’slittledrawing—roomorofeventheman’scardonBilly’ssilvertraywasenoughtoshowhimthathehadnot.
Therewereothers，too，whoannoyedBertramnotalittle，foremostofthesebeinghisownbrothers.StillhewasnotreallyworriedaboutWilliamandCyril，hetoldhimself.Williamhedidnotconsidertobeamarryingman;andCyril——everyoneknewthatCyrilwasawoman—hater.HewasdoubtlessattractednowonlybyBilly’smusic.TherewasnorealrivalrytobefearedfromWilliamandCyril.ButtherewasalwaysCalderwell，andCalderwellwasserious.Bertramdecided，therefore，aftersomeweeksoffeverishunrest，thattheonlyroadtopeacelaythroughafrankavowalofhisfeelings，andadirectappealtoBillytogivehimthegreatboonofherlove.
Justhere，however，Bertrammetwithanunexpecteddifficulty.Hecouldnotfindwordswithwhichtomakehisavowalortopresenthisappeal.Hewassurprisedandannoyed.Neverbeforehadhebeenatalossforwords——merewords.Anditwasnotthathelackedopportunity.Hewalked，drove，andtalkedwithBilly，andalwaysshewascompanionable，attentivetowhathehadtosay.
Neverwasshecoldorreserved.Neverdidshefailtogreethimwithacheerysmile.
Bertramconcluded，indeed，afteratime，thatshewastoocompanionable，toocheery.Hewishedshewouldhesitate，stammer，blush;bealittleshy.Hewishedthatshewoulddisplaysurprise，annoyance，even——anythingbutthateternalairofcomradeship.Andthen，oneafternoonintheearlytwilightofaJanuaryday，hefreedhismind，quiteunexpectedly.
\"Billy，IwishyouWOULDN’Tbeso——sofriendly！\"heexclaimedinavoicethatwasalmostsharp.
Billylaughedatfirst，butthenextmomentashameddistressdrovethemerrimentquiteoutofherface.
\"YoumeanthatIpresumeon——onourfriendship？\"shestammered.
\"ThatyoufearthatIwillagain——shadowyourfootsteps？\"ItwasthefirsttimesincethememorablenightitselfthatBillyhadeverinBertram’spresencereferredtoheryoungguardianshipofhiswelfare.Sherealizednow，suddenly，thatshehadjustbeengivingthemanbeforehersomevery\"sisterlyadvice，\"andthethoughtsentaconfusedredtohercheeks.
Bertramturnedquickly.
\"Billy，thatwasthedearestandloveliestthingagirleverdid——
onlyIwastoogreatachumptoappreciateit！\"finishedBertraminavoicethatwasnotquitesteady.
\"Thankyou，\"smiledthegirl，withaslowshakeofherheadandarelievedlookinhereyes;\"butI’mafraidIcan’tquiteagreetothat.\"Thenextmomentshehaddemandedmischievously：\"Why，then，pray，thisunflatteringobjectiontomy——friendlinessnow？\"
\"BecauseIdon’twantyouforafriend，orasister，oranythingelsethat’srelated，\"stormedBertram，withsuddenvehemence.\"I
don’twantyouforanythingbut——awife！Billy，WON’Tyoumarryme？\"
AgainBillylaughed——laugheduntilshesawthepainedangerleaptothegrayeyesbeforeher;thenshebecamegraveatonce.
\"Bertram，forgiveme.Ididn’tthinkyoucould——youcan’tbe——
serious！\"
\"ButIam.\"
Billyshookherhead.
\"Butyoudon’tloveme——notME，Bertram.It’sonlytheturnofmyheador——orthetiltofmychinthatyoulove——topaint，\"sheprotested，unconsciouslyechoingthewordsCalderwellhadsaidtoherweeksbefore.\"I’monlyanother’FaceofaGirl.’\"
\"You’retheonly’Faceofagirl’tomenow，Billy，\"declaredtheman，withdisarmingtenderness.
\"No，no，notthat，\"demurredBilly，indistress.\"Youdon’tmeanit.Youonlythinkyoudo.Itcouldn’tbethat.Itcan’tbe！\"
\"Butitis，dear.IthinkIhavelovedyoueversincethatnightlongagowhenIsawyourdear，startledfaceappealingtomefrombeyondSeaver’shatefulsmile.And，Billy，IneverwentoncewithSeaveragain——anywhere.Didyouknowthat？\"
\"No;but——I’mglad——soglad！\"
\"AndI’mglad，too.Soyousee，Imusthavelovedyouthen，thoughunconsciously，perhaps;andIloveyounow.\"
\"No，no，pleasedon’tsaythat.Itcan’tbe——itreallycan’tbe.
I——Idon’tloveyou——thatway，Bertram.\"
Themanpaledalittle.
\"Billy——forgivemeforasking，butit’ssomuchtome——isitthatthereis——someoneelse？\"Hisvoiceshook.
\"No，no，indeed！Thereisnoone.\"
\"It’snot——Calderwell？\"
Billy’sforeheadgrewpink.Shelaughednervous1y.
\"No，no，never！\"
\"Butthereareothers，somanyothers！\"
\"Nonsense，Bertram;there’snoone——noone，Iassureyou！\"
\"It’snotWilliam，ofcourse，norCyril.Cyrilhateswomen.\"
AdeeperflushcametoBilly’sface.Herchinrosealittle;andanodddefianceflashedfromhereyes.Butalmostinstantlyitwasgone，andaslowsmilehadcometoherlips.
\"Yes，Iknow.Everyone——saysthatCyrilhateswomen，\"sheobserveddemurely.
\"Then，Billy，Isha’n’tgiveup！\"vowedBertram，softly.\"SometimeyouWILLloveme！\"
\"No，no，Icouldn’t.Thatis，I’mnotgoingto——tomarry，\"
stammeredBilly.
\"Notgoingtomarry！\"
\"No.There’smymusic——youknowhowIlovethat，andhowmuchitistome.Idon’tthinkthere’lleverbeaman——thatI’lllovebetter.\"
Bertramliftedhishead.Veryslowlyherosetillhissplendidsixfeetofclean—limbedstrengthandmanlybeautytoweredawayabovethelowchairinwhichBillysat.Hismouthshowednewlinesaboutthecorners，andhiseyeslookeddownverytenderlyatthegirlbesidehim;buthisvoice，whenhespoke，hadalightwhimsicalitythatdeceivedevenBilly’sears.
\"Andsoit’smusic——acold，senselessthingofspiderymarksoncleanwhitepaper——thatismyonlyrival，\"hecried.\"ThenI’llwarnyou，Billy，I’llwarnyou.I’mgoingtowin！\"Andwiththathewasgone.
CHAPTERXXIX
\"I’MNOTGOINGTOMARRY\"
BillydidnotknowwhethertobemoreamazedoramusedatBertram’sproposalofmarriage.Shewasvexed;shewasverysureofthat.
TomarryBertram？Absurd！Thenshereflectedthat，afterall，itwasonlyBertram，soshecalmedherself.
Still，itwasannoying.ShelikedBertram，shehadalwayslikedhim.Hewasaniceboy，andamostcongenialcompanion.Heneverboredher，asdidsomeothers;andhewasalwaysthoughtfulofcushionsandfootstoolsandcupsofteawhenonewastired.Hewas，infact，anidealfriend，justthesortshewanted;anditwassuchapitythathemustspoilitallnowwiththissillysentimentality！Andofcoursehehadspoileditall.Therewasnogoingbacknowtotheiroldfriendliness.Hewouldbemoroseorsillybyturns，accordingtowhethershefrownedorsmiled;orelsehewouldtakehimselfoffinatragicsortofwaythatwasverydisturbing.Hehadsaid，tobesure，thathewould\"win.\"Win，indeed！AsifshecouldmarryBertram！Whenshemarried，herchoicewouldfalluponaman，notaboy;abig，grave，earnestmantowhomtheworldmeantsomething;amanwholovedmusic，ofcourse;amanwhowouldsingleheroutfromalltheworld，andshowtoher，andtoheronly，thedepthandtendernessofhislove;amanwho——butshewasnotgoingtomarry，anyway，rememberedBilly，suddenly.Andwiththatshebegantocry.Thewholethingwasso\"tiresome，\"shedeclared，andso\"absurd.\"
BillyratherdreadedhernextmeetingwithBertram.Shefeared——
sheknewnotwhat.But，asitturnedout，sheneednothavefearedanything，forhemethertranquilly，cheerfully，asusual;andhedidnothingandsaidnothingthathemightnothavedoneandsaidbeforethattwilightchattookplace.