Hewasnotsurprised，therefore，whenhereceivednoreplytohisring。
　　ThattherewastheslightesttruthinBessieBailey’sabsurdelopement’idea，Bertramdidnot，ofcourse，foraninstantbelieve。Theonlythingthatrankledaboutthatwasthefactthatshehadsuggestedsuchathing，andthatMissWinthropandthosesillychildrenhadheardher。HerecognizedhalfofBessie’sfriendsasneighborhoodyoungsters，andheknewverywellthattherewouldbemanyaquietlaughathisexpensearoundvariousBeaconStreetdinner-
　　tablesthatnight。Atthethoughtofthosedinner-tables，hescowledagain。_He_hadnodinner-table——atleast，hehadnodinneronit!
　　WhothemanmightbeBertramthoughthecouldeasilyguess。ItwaseitherArkwrightorCalderwell，ofcourse；andprobablythattiresomeAliceGreggorywasmixedupinitsomehow。
　　HedidwishBilly——
　　Sixo’clockcame，thenhalf-past。Bertramwasindeedfrightenednow，buthewasmoreangry，andstillmorehungry。Hehad，infact，reachedthatstateofblindunreasonablenesssaidtobepeculiartohungrymalesfromtimeimmemorial。
　　Attenminutesofsevenakeyclickedinthelockoftheouterdoor，andWilliamandBillyenteredthehall。
　　Itwasalmostdark。Bertramcouldnotseetheirfaces。Hehadnotlightedthehallatall。
　　Well，’hebegansharply，isthisthewayyoureceiveyourcallers，Billy？IcamehomeandfoundMissWinthropjustleaving——nooneheretoreceiveher!Where’veyoubeen？Where’sEliza？Where’smydinner？OfcourseIdon’tmeantoscold，Billy，butthereisalimittoevenmypatience——andit’sreachednow。Ican’thelpsuggestingthatifyouwouldtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore，andgogallivantingoffwithCalderwellandArkwrightandAliceGreggoryalittleless，that——WhereisEliza，anyway？’hefinishedirritably，switchingonthelightswithasnap。
　　Therewasamomentofdeadsilence。AtBertram’sfirstwordsBillyandWilliamhadstoppedshort。Neitherhadmovedsince。NowWilliamturnedandbegantospeak，butBillyinterrupted。Shemetherhusband’sgazesteadily。
　　Iwillbedownatoncetogetyourdinner，’
　　shesaidquietly。Elizawillnotcometo-night。
　　Peteisdead。’
　　Bertramstartedforwardwithaquickcry。
　　Dead!Oh，Billy!Thenyouwere——_there!_
　　Billy!’
　　Buthiswifedidnotapparentlyhearhim。Shepassedhimwithoutturningherhead，andwentonupthestairs，leavinghimtomeetthesorrowful，accusingeyesofWilliam。
　　Theyounghusband’sapologieswereprofuseandabject。Bertramwasheartilyashamedofhimself，andwasmanenoughtoacknowledgeit。
　　AlmostonhiskneeshebeggedBillytoforgivehim；andinafrenzyofself-denunciationhefollowedherdownintothekitchenthatnight，piteouslybeseechinghertospeaktohim，tojust_look_athim，even，sothathemightknowhewasnotutterlydespised——thoughhedid，indeed，deservetobemorethandespised，hemoaned。
　　AtfirstBillydidnotspeak，orevenvouchsafeaglanceinhisdirection。Veryquietlyshewentaboutherpreparationsforasimplemeal，payingapparentlynomoreattentiontoBertramthanasifhewerenotthere。Butthatherearswereonlyseemingly，andnotreallydeaf，wasshownveryclearlyalittlelater，when，ataparticularlyabjectwailonthepartofthebabblingshadowatherheels，Billychokedintoalittlegasp，halflaughter，halfsob。Itwasalloverthen。Bertramhadherinhisarmsinatwinkling，whiletothefloorclatteredandrolledaknifeandahalf-peeledbakedpotato。
　　Naturally，afterthat，therecouldbenomoredignifiedsilencesonthepartoftheinjuredwife。
　　Therewere，instead，half-smiles，tears，sobs，atremuloustellingofPete’sgoingandhismessages，followedbyatearfullisteningtoBertram’sstoryofthetorturehehadenduredatthehandsofMissWinthrop，BessieBailey，andanempty，dinnerlesshouse。Andthus，inonecornerofthekitchen，sometimelater，ahungry，desperateWilliamfoundthem，thehalf-peeled，coldbakedpotatostillattheirfeet。
　　Tornbetweenhiscravingforfoodandhisdesirenottointerferewithanypossiblepeace-
　　making，Williamwasobviouslyhesitatingwhattodo，whenBillyglancedupandsawhim。Shesaw，too，atthesametime，theempty，blazinggas-stoveburner，andthepileofhalf-preparedpotatoes，towarmwhichtheburnerhadlongsincebeenlighted。Withalittlecryshebrokeawayfromherhusband’sarms。
　　Mercy!andhere’spoorUncleWilliam，blesshisheart，withnotathingtoeatyet!’
　　Theyallgotdinnerthen，together，withmanyasighandquick-comingtearaseverywheretheymetsomesadreminderofthegentleoldhandsthatwouldneveragainministertotheircomfort。
　　Itwasasilentmeal，andlittle，afterall，waseaten，thoughbraveattemptsatcheerfulnessandnaturalnessweremadebyallthree。Bertram，especially，talked，andtriedtomakesurethattheshadowonBilly’sfacewasatleastnottheonehisownconducthadbroughtthere。
　　Foryoudo——yousurelydoforgiveme，don’tyou？’hebegged，ashefollowedherintothekitchenafterthesorrymealwasover。
　　Why，yes，dear，yes，’sighedBilly，tryingtosmile。
　　Andyou’llforget？’
　　Therewasnoanswer。
　　Billy!Andyou’llforget？’Bertram’svoicewasinsistent，reproachful。
　　Billychangedcolorandbitherlip。Shelookedplainlydistressed。
　　Billy!’criedtheman，stillmorereproachfully。
　　But，Bertram，Ican’tforget——quiteyet，’
　　falteredBilly。
　　Bertramfrowned。Foraminutehelookedasifhewereabouttotakeupthematterseriouslyandargueitwithher；butthenextmomenthesmiledandtossedhisheadwithjauntyplayfulness——
　　Bertram，totellthetruth，hadnowhadquiteenoughofwhatheprivatelytermedscenes’andheroics’；and，manlike，hewasveryardentlylongingfortheoldeasy-goingfriendliness，withallunpleasantnessbanishedtooblivion。
　　Oh，butyou’llhavetoforget，’heclaimed，withcheeryinsistence，foryou’vepromisedtoforgiveme——andonecan’tforgivewithoutforgetting。
　　So，there!’hefinished，withasmilinglydeterminednow-everything-is-just-as-it-was-before’air。
　　Billymadenoresponse。Sheturnedhurriedlyandbegantobusyherselfwiththedishesatthesink。Inherheartshewaswondering：couldsheeverforgetwhatBertramhadsaid？Wouldanythingeverblotoutthoseawfulwords：Ifyouwouldtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore，andgogallivantingoffwithCalderwellandArkwrightandAliceGreggoryalittleless——’？Itseemednowthatalways，forevermore，theywouldringinherears；always，forevermore，theywouldburndeeperanddeeperintohersoul。Andnotonce，inallBertram’sapologies，hadhereferredtothem——thosewordshehaduttered。Hehadnotsaidhedidnotmeanthem。Hehadnotsaidhewassorryhespokethem。Hehadignoredthem；andheexpectedthatnowshe，too，wouldignorethem。Asifshecould!’Ifyouwouldtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore，andgogallivantingoffwithCalderwellandArkwrightandAliceGreggoryalittleless——’Oh，ifonlyshecould，indeed，——forget!
　　WhenBillywentup-stairsthatnightsheranacrossherTalktoYoungWives’inherdesk。
　　Withahalf-stifledcryshethrustitfarbackoutofsight。
　　Ihateyou，Ihateyou——withallyouroldtalkabout`brushingupagainstoutsideinterests’!’
　　shewhisperedfiercely。Well，I’ve`brushed’——andnowseewhatI’vegotforit!’
　　Later，however，afterBertramwasasleep，Billycreptoutofbedandgotthebook。Underthecarefullyshadedlampintheadjoiningroomsheturnedthepagessoftlytillshecametothesentence：
　　Perhapsitwouldbehardtofindamoreutterlyunreasonable，irritable，irresponsiblecreaturethanahungryman。’Withalongsighshebegantoread；andnotuntilsomeminuteslaterdidsheclosethebook，turnoffthelight，andstealbacktobed。
　　Duringthenextthreedays，untilafterthefuneralattheshabbylittleSouthBostonhouse，ElizaspentonlyabouthalfofeachdayattheStrata。This，muchtoherdistress，leftmanyofthehouseholdtasksforheryoungmistresstoperform。Billy，however，attackedeachnewdutywithafeverisheagernessthatseemedtomaketheperformanceofitverylikesomegladpenancedoneforpastmisdeeds。Andwhen——onthedayaftertheyhadlaidtheoldservantinhislastrestingplace——adespairingmessagecamefromElizatotheeffectthatnowhermotherwasveryill，andwouldneedhercare，BillypromptlytoldElizatostayaslongaswasnecessary；thattheycouldgetalongallrightwithouther。
　　But，Billy，what_are_wegoingtodo？’
　　Bertramdemanded，whenheheardthenews。Wemusthavesomebody!’
　　_I’m_goingtodoit。’
　　Nonsense!Asifyoucould!’scoffedBertram。
　　Billyliftedherchin。
　　Couldn’tI，indeed，’sheretorted。Doyourealize，youngman，howmuchI’vedonethelastthreedays？Howaboutthosemuffinsyouhadthismorningforbreakfast，andthatcakelastnight？Anddidn’tyouyourselfsaythatyouneverateabetterpuddingthanthatdatepuffyesterdaynoon？’
　　Bertramlaughedandshruggedhisshoulders。
　　Mydearlove，I’mnotquestioningyour_ability_todoit，’hesoothedquickly。Still，’headded，withawhimsicalsmile，ImustremindyouthatElizahasbeenherehalfthetime，andthatmuffinsanddatepuffs，howeverdelicious，aren’tallthereistorunningabighouselikethis。
　　Besides，justbesensible，Billy，’hewentonmoreseriously，ashenotedtherebelliousgleamcomingintohisyoungwife’seyes；you’dknowyoucouldn’tdoit，ifyou’djuststoptothink。There’stheCarletonscomingtodinnerMonday，andmystudioTeato-morrow，tosaynothingoftheSymphonyandtheopera，andtheconcertsyou’dlosebecauseyouweretoodeadtiredtogotothem。
　　YouknowhowitwaswiththatconcertyesterdayafternoonwhichAliceGreggorywantedyoutogotowithher。’
　　Ididn’t——want——togo，’chokedBilly，underherbreath。
　　Andthere’syourmusic。Youhaven’tdoneathingwiththatfordays，yetonlylastweekyoutoldmethepublisherswerehurryingyouforthatlastsongtocompletethegroup。’
　　Ihaven’tfeltlike——writing，’stammeredBilly，stillhalfunderherbreath。
　　Ofcourseyouhaven’t，’triumphedBertram。
　　You’vebeentoodeadtired。Andthat’sjustwhatIsay。Billy，you_can’t_doitallyourself!’
　　ButIwantto。Iwantto——totendtothings，’falteredBilly，withahalf-fearfulglanceintoherhusband’sface。
　　BillywashearingveryloudlynowthataccusingIfyou’dtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore——’Bertram，however，wasnothearingit，evidently。Indeed，heseemednevertohaveheardit——muchlesstohavespokenit。
　　`Tendtothings，’’helaughedlightly。
　　Well，you’llhaveenoughtodototendtothemaid，Ifancy。Anyhow，we’regoingtohaveone。
　　I’lljuststepintooneofthose——whatdoyoucall’em？——intelligenceofficesonmywaydownandsendoneup，’hefinished，ashegavehiswifeagood-bykiss。
　　AnhourlaterBilly，strugglingwiththebroomandthedrawing-roomcarpet，wascalledtothetelephone。Itwasherhusband’svoicethatcametoher。
　　Billy，forheaven’ssake，takepityonme。
　　Won’tyouputonyourdudsandcomeandengageyourmaidyourself？’
　　Why，Bertram，what’sthematter？’
　　Matter？Holysmoke!Well，I’vebeentothreeofthoseintelligenceoffices——thoughwhytheycallthemthatIcan’timagine。Ifevertherewasaplaceutterlydevoidofintelligence-butnevermind!I’veinterviewedfourfatladies，twothinones，andonemediumwithawart。I’vecheerfullydivulgedallourfamilysecrets，promisedeveryotherhalf-hourout，andtakenoaththatourhouseholdnumbersthreeadultmembers，andnomore；butIsimply_can’t_rememberhowmanyhandkerchiefswehaveinthewasheachweek。Billy，willyoucome？Maybeyoucandosomethingwiththem。I’msureyoucan!’
　　Why，ofcourseI’llcome，’chirpedBilly。
　　WhereshallImeetyou？’
　　Bertramgavethestreetandnumber。
　　Good!I’llbethere，’promisedBilly，asshehungupthereceiver。
　　Quiteforgettingthebroominthemiddleofthedrawing-roomfloor，Billytrippedup-stairstochangeherdress。Onherlipswasagaylittlesong。Inherheartwasjoy。
　　Iratherguess_now_I’mtendingtomyhusbandandmyhome!’shewascrowingtoherself