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。