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。