Bertram，Iamgoinghome。’
　　Billy!’
　　Iam。’
　　Billy，forheaven’ssakedon’tbeasillygoose!
　　Theplay’shalfoveralready。We’llsoonbegoing，anyway。’
　　Billy’slipscametogetherinathinlittledeterminedline。
　　Bertram，Iamgoinghomenow，please，’shesaid。Youneedn’tcomewithme；Icangoalone。’
　　Bertramsaidtwowordsunderhisbreathwhichitwasjustaswell，perhaps，thatBilly——andtheneighbors——didnothear；thenhegathereduptheirwrapsand，withBilly，stalkedoutofthetheater。
　　Athomeeverythingwasfoundtobeabsolutelyasitshouldbe。Bertram，Jr。，waspeacefullysleeping，andDelia，whohadcomeupfromdownstairs，wassewinginthenextroom。
　　There，yousee，’observedBertram，alittlesourly。
　　Billydrewalong，contentedsigh。
　　Yes，Isee；everythingisallright。Butthat’sexactlywhatIwantedtodo，Bertram，youknow——to_seeformyself_，’shefinishedhappily。
　　AndBertram，lookingatherraptfaceasshehoveredoverthebaby’scrib，calledhimselfabruteandabeasttomind_anything_thatcouldmakeBillylooklikethat。
　　CHAPTERXXV
　　SHOULDAULDACQUAINTANCEBEFORGOT’
　　BertramdidnotaskBillyverysoonagaintogotothetheater。Forsomedays，indeed，hedidnotaskhertodoanything。Then，oneevening，hedidbegforsomemusic。
　　Billy，youhaven’tplayedtomeorsungtomesinceIcouldremember，’hecomplained。I
　　wantsomemusic。’
　　Billygaveamerrylaughandwriggledherfingersexperimentally。
　　Mercy，Bertram!Idon’tbelieveIcouldplayanote。YouknowI’malloutofpractice。’
　　Butwhy_don’t_youpractice？’
　　Why，Bertram，Ican’t。InthefirstplaceI
　　don’tseemtohaveanytimeexceptwhenBaby’sasleep；andIcan’tplaythen-I’dwakehimup。’
　　Bertramsighedirritably，rosetohisfeet，andbegantowalkupanddowntheroom。Hecametoapauseatlast，hiseyesbentatrifledisapprovinglyonhiswife。
　　Billy，dear，_don’t_youwearanythingbutthosewrapperthingsnowadays？’heaskedplaintively。
　　AgainBillylaughed。Butthistimeatroubledfrownfollowedthelaugh。
　　Iknow，Bertram，Isupposetheydolookdowdy，sometimes，’sheconfessed；but，yousee，Ihatetowearareallygooddress——Babyrumplesthemupso；andI’musuallyinahurrytogettohimmornings，andthesearesoeasytoslipinto，andsomuchmorecomfortableformetohandlehimin!’
　　Yes，ofcourse，ofcourse；Isee，’mumbledBertram，listlesslytakinguphiswalkagain。
　　Billy，afteramoment’ssilence，begantotalkanimatedly。Babyhaddoneawonderfullycunningthingthatmorning，andBillyhadnothadachanceyettotellBertram。Babywasgrowingmoreandmorecunninganyway，thesedays，andtherewereseveralthingsshebelievedshehadnottoldhim；soshetoldthemnow。
　　Bertramlistenedpolitely，interestedly。Hetoldhimselfthathe_was_interested，too。Ofcoursehewasinterestedinthedoingsofhisownchild!Buthestillwalkedupanddowntheroomalittlerestlessly，comingtoahaltatlastbythewindow，acrosswhichtheshadehadnotbeendrawn。
　　Billy，’hecriedsuddenly，withhisoldboyisheagerness，there’sagloriousmoon。Comeon!Let’stakealittlewalk——arealfellow-and-
　　his-best-girlwalk!Willyou？’
　　Mercy!dear，Icouldn’t，’criedBillyspringingtoherfeet。I’dloveto，though，ifIcould，’
　　sheaddedhastily，asshesawdisappointmentcloudherhusband’sface。ButItoldDeliashemightgoout。Itisn’therregularevening，ofcourse，butItoldherIdidn’tmindstayingwithBabyabit。SoI’llhavetogorightupnow。
　　She’llbegoingsoon。But，dear，yougoandtakeyourwalk。It’lldoyougood。Thenyoucancomebackandtellmeallaboutit——onlyyoumustcomeinquietly，sonottowakethebaby，’
　　shefinished，givingherhusbandanaffectionatekiss，asshelefttheroom。
　　Afteradisconsolatefiveminutesofsolitude，Bertramgothishatandcoatandwentoutforhiswalk——buthetoldhimselfhedidnotexpecttoenjoyit。
　　BertramHenshawknewthattheoldrebelliousjealousyofthesummerhadhimfastinitsgrip。
　　Hewasheartilyashamedofhimself，buthecouldnothelpit。HewantedBilly，andhewantedherthen。Hewantedtotalktoher。Hewantedtotellheraboutanewportraitcommissionhehadjustobtained；andhewantedtoaskherwhatshethoughtoftheideaofabrand-newFaceofaGirl’fortheBohemianTenExhibitionnextMarch。Hewanted——butthen，whatwouldbetheuse？Shewouldlisten，ofcourse，buthewouldknowbytheverylooksofherfacethatshewouldnotbereallythinkingofwhathewassaying；andhewouldbewillingtowagerhisbestcanvasthatintheveryfirstpauseshewouldtellaboutthebaby’snewesttoothorlatesttoy。Notbutthathelikedtohearaboutthelittlefellow，ofcourse；andnotbutthathewasproudasPunchofhim，too；butthathewouldlikesometimestohearBillytalkofsomethingelse。Thesweetestmelodyintheworld，ifdinnedintoone’searsdayandnight，becamesomethingtobefledfrom。
　　AndBillyoughttotalkofsomethingelse，too!
　　Bertram，Jr。，wonderfulashewas，reallywasnottheonlythingintheworld，oreventheonlybaby；
　　andotherpeople——outsiders，theirfriends——
　　hadarighttoexpectthatsometimesothermattersmightbeconsidered——theirown，forinstance。ButBillyseemedtohaveforgottenthis。
　　NomatterwhetherthesubjectofconversationhadtodowiththelatestnoveloratriptoEurope，underBilly’sguidanceitinvariablyledstraighttoBaby’sJack-and-Jillbook，ortoaperambulatorjourneyinthePublicGarden。Ifithadnotbeensoserious，itwouldhavebeenreallyfunnythewayallroadsledstraighttoonegoal。Hehimself，whenalonewithBilly，hadstartedthemostunusualandforeignsubjects，sometimes，justtoseeiftherewerenotsomewherealittlebypaththatdidnotbringupinhisownnursery。
　　Henever，however，foundone。
　　Butitwasnotfunny；itwasserious。Wasthisgloriousgiftonparenthoodtowhichhehadlookedforwardasthecrowningjoyofhisexistence，tobenothingbutatragedythatwouldfinallywreckhisdomestichappiness？Itcouldnotbe。Itmustnotbe。Hemusthepatient，andwait。
　　Billylovedhim。Hewassureshedid。Byandbythisobsessionofmotherhood，whichhadhersofastinitsgrasp，wouldrelax。Shewouldrememberthatherhusbandhadrightsaswellasherchild。Onceagainshewouldgivehimthecompanionship，love，andsympatheticinterestsodeartohim。Meanwhiletherewashiswork。
　　Hemustburyhimselfinthat。Andfortunate，indeed，hewas，hetoldhimself，thathehadsomethingsoabsorbing。
　　ItwasatthispointinhismeditationsthatBertramroundedacornerandcamefacetofacewithamanwhostoppedhimshortwithajovial：
　　Isn’tit——byGeorge，itisBertieHenshaw!
　　Well，whatdoyouthinkofthatforluck？——andmeonlytwodayshomefrom`GayParee’!’
　　Oh，Seaver!Howareyou？You_are_astranger!’
　　Bertram’svoiceandhandshakewereabitmorecordialthantheywouldhavebeenhadhenotatthemomentbeenfeelingsoabusedandforlorn。IntheolddayshehadlikedthisBobSeaverwell。Seaverwasanartistlikehimself，andwasgoodcompanyalways。ButSeaverandhiscrowdwerealittletooBohemianforWilliam’staste；
　　andafterBillycame，she，too，hadobjectedtowhatshecalledthathorridSeaverman。’Inhisheart，Bertramknewthattherewasgoodfoundationfortheirobjections，sohehadavoidedSeaverforatime；andforsomeyears，now，themanhadbeenabroad，somewhattoBertram’srelief。To-night，however，Seaver’sgenialsmileandheartyfriendlinesswerelikeasuddenburstofsunshineonarainyday——andBertramdetestedrainydays。Hewasfeelingnow，too，asifhehadjusthadawholeweekofthem。
　　Yes，Iamsomethingofastrangerhere，’
　　noddedSeaver。ButItellyouwhat，littleoldBostonlooksmightygoodtome，allthesame。
　　Comeon!You’rejustthefellowwewant。I’monmywaynowtotheoldstampingground。
　　Come——rightaboutface，oldchap，andcomewithme!’
　　Bertramshookhishead。
　　Sorry——butIguessIcan’t，to-night，’hesighed。Bothgestureandwordswereunhesitating，butthevoicecarriedthediscontentofasmallboy，who，whilethesunisstillshining，hasbeentoldtocomeintothehouse。
　　Oh，rats!Yes，youcan，too。Comeon!
　　Lotsoftheoldcrowdwillbethere——Griggs，Beebe，JackJenkins，andTully。Weneedyoutocompletetheshow。’
　　JackJenkins？Ishehere？’AneweagernesshadcomeintoBertram’svoice。
　　Sure!HecameonfromNewYorklastnight。
　　Greatboy，Jenkins!JustbackfromParisfairlycoveredwithmedals，youknow。’
　　Yes，soIhear。Ihaven’tseenhimforfouryears。’
　　Bettercometo-nightthen。’
　　No-o，’beganBertram，withobviousreluctance。It’salreadynineo’clock，and——’
　　Nineo’clock!’cutinSeaver，withabroadgrin。Sincewhenhasyourlimitbeennineo’clock？I’veseenthetimewhenyoudidn’tmindnineo’clockinthemorning，Bertie!What’sgot——Oh，Iremember。ImetanotherfriendofyoursinBerlin；chapnamedArkwright——
　　andsay，he’ssomesinger，youbet!You’regoingtohearofhimoneofthesedays。Well，hetoldmeallabouthowyou’dsettleddownnow——
　　sonandheir，firesidebliss，prettywife，andallthefixings。But，Isay，Bertie，doesn’tsheletyouout——_any_？’
　　Nonsense，Seaver!’flaredBertraminannoyedwrath。
　　Well，then，whydon’tyoucometo-night？
　　IfyouwanttoseeJenkinsyou’llhaveto；he’sgoingbacktoNewYorkto-morrow。’
　　ForonlyabriefminutelongerdidBertramhesitate；thenheturnedsquarelyaboutwithanairoffinality。
　　Ishe？Well，then，perhapsIwill，’hesaid。
　　I’dhatetomissJenkinsentirely。’
　　Good!’exclaimedhiscompanion，astheyfellintostep。Haveacigar？’
　　Thanks。Don’tmindifIdo。’
　　IfBertram’schinwasalittlehigherandhisstepalittlemoredecidedthanusual，itwasallmerelybywayofaccompanimenttohisthoughts。
　　Certainlyitwasrightthatheshouldgo，anditwassensible。Indeed，itwasreallyalmostimperative——duetoBilly，asitwere——afterthatdisagreeabletauntofSeaver’s。Asifshedidnotwanthimtogowhenandwherehepleased!Asifshewouldconsentforamomenttofigureintheeyesofhisfriendsasatyrannicalwifewhoobjectedtoherhusband’spassingasocialeveningwithhisfriends!Tobesure，inthisparticularcase，shemightnotfavorSeaver’spresence，butevenshewouldnotmindthisonce——
　　and，anyhow，itwasJenkinsthatwastheattraction，notSeaver。Besides，hehimselfwasnoundevelopedboynow。Hewasaman，presumedlyabletotakecareofhimself。Besides，again，hadnotBillyherselftoldhimtogooutandenjoytheeveningwithouther，asshehadtostaywiththebaby？Hewouldtelephoneher，ofcourse，thathehadmetsomeoldfriends，andthathemightbelate；thenshewouldnotworry。
　　Andforthwith，havingsettledthematterinhismind，andtohiscompletesatisfaction，BertramgavehisundividedattentiontoSeaver，whohadalreadyplungedintoanaccountofarecentArtExhibitionhehadattendedinParis。