"Dearme！IsupposeI’llhavetoexplain;butwe’relosingtime——
　　andwemustn’t——wemustn’t！"shecriedfeverishly."Listenthen，quick.ItwasatMrs.Hartwell’stonight.I’dbeenwatchingMr.
　　Bertram.HewaswiththathorridMr.Seaver，andIneverlikedhim，never！Ioverheardsomethingtheysaid，aboutsomeplacetheyweregoingto，andIdidn’tlikewhatMr.Seaversaid.ItriedtospeaktoMr.Bertram，butIdidn’tgetachance;andthenextthingIknewhe’dgonewiththatSeaverman！Isawthemjustintimetosnatchmycloakandfollowthem."
　　"FOLLOWthem！MISSBILLY！"
　　"Ihadto，Pete;don’tyousee？Therewasnooneelse.Mr.CyrilandUncleWilliamhadgone——home，Isupposed.IsentbackwordbythemaidtoAuntHannahthatI’dgoneahead;youknowthecarriagewasorderedforeleven;butI’mafraidshewon’thavesensetotellAuntHannah，shelookedsodazedandfrightenedwhenItoldher.
　　ButICOULDN’Twaittosaymore.Well，IhurriedoutandcaughtupwithMr.BertramjustastheywerecrossingArlingtonStreettotheGarden.I’dheardthemsaytheyweregoingtowalk，soIknewI
　　coulddoit.But，Pete，afterIgotthere，Ididn’tdaretospeak——
　　Ididn’tDAREto！SoIjust——followed.TheywentstraightthroughtheGardenandacrosstheCommontoTremontStreet，andonandonuntiltheystoppedandwentdownsomestairs，allmarbleandlightsandmirrors.’Twasarestaurant，Ithink.Isawjustwhereitwas，thenIflewbackheretotelephoneforUncleWilliam.I
　　knewHEcoulddosomething.But——well，youknowtherest.Ihadtotakeyou.Nowcome，quick;I’llshowyou."
　　"But，MissBilly，Ican’t！Youmustn’t;it’simpossible，"
　　chatteredoldPete."Come，letmetakeyehome，MissBilly，do！"
　　"Home——andleaveMr.BertramwiththatSeaverman？No，no！"
　　"WhatCANyedo？"
　　"Do？Icangethimtocomehomewithme，ofcourse."
　　Theoldmanmadeadespairinggestureandlookedabouthimasifforhelp.Hesawthenthecurious，questioningeyesonallsides;
　　andwithaquickchangeofmanner，hetouchedMissBilly’sarm.
　　"Yes;we’llgo.Come，"heapparentlyagreed.ButonceoutsideonthebroadexpansebeforetheSubwayentrancehestoppedagain.
　　"MissBilly，pleasecomehome，"heimplored."Yedon’tknow——yecan’tknowwhatyera—doin’！"
　　Thegirltossedherhead.Shewasangrynow.
　　"Pete，ifyouwillnotgowithmeIshallgoalone.Iamnotafraid."
　　"Butthehour——theplace——you，ayounggirl！MissBilly！"
　　remonstratedtheoldmanagitatedly.
　　"Itisn’tsoverylate.I’vebeenoutlotsoftimeslaterthanthisathome.Andasfortheplace，it’salllightandbright，andlotsofpeopleweregoingin——ladiesandgentlemen.Nothingcouldhurtme，Pete，andIshallgo;butI’dratheryouwerewithme.
　　Why，Pete，wemustn’tleavehim.Heisn’t——heisn’tHIMSELF，Pete.
　　He——he’sbeenDRINKING！"Billy’svoicebroke，andherfaceflushedscarlet.Shewasalmostcrying."Come，youwon’trefusenow！"shefinished，resolutelyturningtowardthestreet.
　　AndbecauseoldPetecouldnotpickherupbodilyandcarryherhome，hefollowedcloseatherheels.Attheheadofthemarblestairs"alllightsandmirrors，"however，hemadeonelastplea.
　　"MissBilly，oncemoreIbegofye，won’tyecomehome？Yedon’tknowwhatyera—doin’，MissBilly，yedon’t——yedon’t！"
　　"Ican’tgohome，"persistedBilly."ImustgetMr.Bertramawayfromthatman.Nowcome;we’lljuststandatthedoorandlookinuntilweseehim.ThenI’llgostraighttohimandspeaktohim."
　　Andwiththatsheturnedandrandownthesteps.
　　Billyblinkedalittleatthelightswhich，reflectedinthegreatplate—glassmirrors，wereamilliondazzlingpointsthatfoundthemselvesagainrepeatedinthesparklingcrystalandglitteringsilverontheflower—deckedtables.AllaboutherBillysawflushed—facedmen，andbright—eyedwomen，laughing，chatting，andclinkingtogethertheirslender—stemmedwineglasses.Butnowhere，asshelookedabouther，couldBillydescrythemanshesought.
　　Theheadwaitercameforwardwithupliftedhand，butBillydidnotseehim.Agirlatherleftlaugheddisagreeably，andseveralmenstaredwithboldlyadmiringeyes;buttothem，too，Billypaidnoheed.Then，halfwayacrosstheroomshespiedBertramandSeaversittingtogetheratasmalltablealone.
　　SimultaneouslyherownandBertram’seyesmet.
　　WithasharpwordunderhisbreathBertramsprangtohisfeet.HisbefoggedbrainhadclearedsuddenlyundertheshockofBilly’spresence.
　　"Billy，forHeaven’ssakewhatareyoudoinghere？"hedemandedinalowvoice，ashereachedherside.
　　"Icameforyou.Iwantyoutogohomewithme，please，Mr.
　　Bertram，"whisperedBilly，pleadingly.
　　Themanhadnotwaitedforananswertohisquestion.WithadefttouchhehadturnedBillytowardthedoor;andevenasshefinishedhersentenceshefoundherselfinthemarblehallwayconfrontingPete，pallid—faced，andshaking.
　　"Andyou，too，Pete！GreatScott！whatdoesthismean？"heexplodedangrily.
　　PetecouldonlyshakehisheadandglanceimploringlyatBilly.
　　Hisdrylipsandtonguerefusedtoarticulateevenoneword.
　　"Wecame——for——you，"chokedBilly."Yousee，Idon’tlikethatSeaverman."
　　"Well，byJove！thisisthelimit！"breathedBertram.
　　CHAPTERXVI
　　KATETAKESAHAND
　　UndeniablyBillywasindisgrace，andnoneknewitbetterthanBillyherself.Thewholefamilyhadcontributedtothisknowledge.
　　AuntHannahwasinexpressiblyshocked;shehadnotbreatheventoejaculate"Mygriefandconscience！"Katewasdisgusted;Cyrilwascoldlyreserved;Bertramwasfranklyangry;evenWilliamwasvexed，andshowedit.Spunk，too，asifinleaguewiththerest，tookthisopportunitytodisplayoneofhisoccasionalfitsofindependence;andwhenBilly，longingforsomesortofcomfort，calledhimtoher，hesettledbackonhistinyhaunchesandimperturbablywinkedandblinkedhisindifference.
　　NearlyallthefamilyhadhadsomethingtosaytoBillyonthematter，withnotentirelysatisfactoryresults，whenKatedeterminedtoseewhatshecoulddo.Shechoseatimewhenshecouldhavethegirlquitetoherselfwithsmalllikelihoodofinterruption.
　　"But，Billy，howcouldyoudosuchanabsurdthing？"shedemanded.
　　"Theideaofleavingmyhousealone，athalf—pasttenatnight，tofollowacoupleofmenthroughthestreetsofBoston，andthenwithmybrothers’butlermakeascenelikethatina——apublicdining—
　　room！"
　　Billysighedinadiscouragedway.
　　"AuntKate，can’tImakeyouandtherestofthemunderstandthatI
　　didn’tstartouttodoallthat？ImeantjusttospeaktoMr.
　　Bertram，andgethimawayfromthatman."
　　"But，mydearchild，eventhatwasbadenough！"
　　Billyliftedherchin.
　　"Youdon’tseemtothink，AuntKate;Mr.Bertramwas——wasnotsober."
　　"AllthemorereasonthenwhyyoushouldNOThavedonewhatyoudid！"
　　"Why，AuntKate，youwouldn’tleavehimaloneinthatconditionwiththatman！"
　　ItwasMrs.Hartwell’sturntosigh.
　　"But，Billy，"shecontested，wearily，"can’tyouunderstandthatitwasn’tYOURplacetointerfere——you，ayounggirl？"
　　"I’msureIdon’tseewhatdifferencethatmakes.Iwastheonlyonethatcoulddoit！Besides，afterward，Ididtrytogetsomeoneelse，UncleWilliamandMr.Cyril.ButwhenIfoundIcouldn’tgetthem，Ijusthadtodoitalone——thatis，withPete."
　　"Pete！"scoffedMrs.Hartwell."Pete，indeed！"
　　Billy’sheadcameupwithajerk.Billywasveryangrynow.
　　"AuntKate，itseemsI’vedoneaveryterriblething，butI’msureIdon’tseeitthatway.Iwasn’tafraid，andIwasn’tintheleastbitofdangeranywhere.Iknewmywayperfectly，andIdidNOTmakeany’scene’inthatrestaurant.IjustaskedMr.Bertramtocomehomewithme.OnewouldthinkyouWANTEDMr.Bertramtogooffwiththatmanand——anddrinktoomuch.ButUncleWilliamhasn’tlikedhimbefore，notonebit！I’veheardhimtalkabouthim——thatMr.Seaver."
　　Mrs.Hartwellraisedbothherhands，palmsoutward.
　　"Billy，itisuselesstotalkwithyou.Youarequiteimpossible.
　　ItisevenworsethanIexpected！"shecried，withwrathfulimpatience.
　　"Worsethanyou——expected？Whatdoyoumean，please？"
　　"WorsethanIthoughtitwouldbe——beforeyoucame.Theideaofthosefivementakingagirltobringup！"
　　Billysatverystill.Shewasevenholdingherbreath，thoughMrs.
　　Hartwelldidnotknowthat.
　　"Youmean——thattheydidnot——wantme？"sheaskedquietly，soquietlythatMrs.Hartwelldidnotrealizethesuddentensionbehindthewords.Forthatmatter，Mrs.Hartwellwastooangrynowtorealizeanythingoutsideofherself.
　　"Wantyou！Billy，itishightimethatyouunderstandjusthowthingsare，andhavebeen，atthehouse;thenperhapsyouwillconductyourselfwithaneyealittlemoretootherpeople’scomfort.CanyouimaginethreeyoungmenlikemybrothersWANTING
　　totakeastrangeyoungwomanintotheirhometoupseteverything？"
　　"To——upset——everything！"echoedBilly，faintly."AndhaveIdone——
　　that？"
　　"Ofcourseyouhave！Howcouldyouhelpit？Tobeginwith，theythoughtyouwereaboy，andthatwasbadenough;butWilliamwassoanxioustodorightbyhisdeadfriendthatheinsistedupontakingyou，muchagainstthewillofalltherestofus.Oh，Iknowthisisn’tpleasantforyoutohear，"admittedMrs.Hartwell，inresponsetothedismayedexpressioninBilly’seyes;"butIthinkit’shightimeyourealizesomethingofwhatthosemenhavesacrificedforyou.Now，toresume.Whentheyfoundyouwereagirl，whatdidtheydo？Didtheyturnyouovertosomeschoolorsuchplace，astheyshouldhavedone？Certainlynot！Williamwouldnothearofit.HeturnedBertramoutofhisrooms，putyouintothem，andestablishedAuntHannahaschaperonandmeassubstituteuntilshearrived.Butbecause，throughitall，hesmiledblandly，youhavebeenblindtothewholething.
　　"Andwhatistheresult？Hisentirehouseholdroutineisshatteredtoatoms.Youhaveacceptedthewholehouseasifitwereyourown.YoutakeCyril’stimetoteachyoumusic，andBertram’stoteachyoupainting，withoutathoughtofwhatitmeanstothem.
　　There！IsupposeIoughtnottohavesaidallthis，butIcouldn’thelpit，Billy.Andsurelynow，NOWyouappreciatealittlemorewhatyourcomingtothishousehasmeant，andwhatmybrothershavedoneforyou."
　　"Ido，certainly，"saidBilly，stillinthatvoicethatwassooddlysmoothandemotionless.
　　"Andyou’lltrytobemoretractable，lessheadstrong，lessassertiveofyourpresence？"
　　Thegirlsprangtoherfeetnow.
　　"Moretractable！Lessassertiveofmypresence！"shecried."Mrs.
　　Hartwell，doyoumeantosayyouthinkI’dSTAYafterwhatyou’vetoldme？"
　　"Stay？Why，ofcourseyou’llstay！Don’tbesilly，child.I
　　didn’ttellyouthistomakeyougo.Ionlywantedyoutounderstandhowthingswere——andare."
　　"AndIdounderstand——andI’mgoing."
　　Mrs.Hartwellfrowned.Herfacechangedcolor.
　　"Come，come，Billy，thisisnonsense.Williamwantsyouhere.HewouldneverforgivemeifanythingIsaidshouldsendyouaway.
　　Youmustnotbeangrywith，him."
　　Billyturnednowlikeanenragedlittletigress.
　　"Angrywithhim！Why，Ilovehim——Ilovethemall！Theyarethedearestmenever，andthey’vebeensogoodtome！"Thegirl’svoicebrokealittle，thenwentonwithamoredeterminedring.
　　"DoyouthinkI’dhavethemknowwhyI’mgoing？——thatI’dhurtthemlikethat？Never！"
　　"But，Billy，whatareyougoingtodo？"
　　"Idon’tknow.I’vegottoplanitout.IonlyknownowthatI’mgoing，sure！"AndwithachokinglittlecryBillyranfromtheroom.
　　Inherownchamberaminutelaterthetearsfellunrestrained.
　　"It’shome——allthehomethereis——anywhere！"shesobbed."Butit’sgottogo——it’sgottogo！"
　　CHAPTERXVII
　　APINK—RIBBONTRAIL
　　Mrs.StetsonworeanairofunmistakablereliefasshesteppedintoWilliam’ssitting—room.Evenherknockatthehalf—opendoorhadsoundedalmosttriumphant.
　　"William，itdoesseemasifFateitselfhadintervenedtohelpusout，"shebegandelightedly."Billy，ofherownaccord，cametomethismorning，andsaidthatshewantedtogoawaywithmeforalittletrip.Soyouseethatwillmakeiteasierforus."
　　"Good！Thatisfortunate，indeed，"criedWilliam;buthisvoicedidnotcarryquitethejoythathiswordsexpressed."Ihavebeendisturbedeversinceyourremarkstheotherday，"hecontinuedwearily;"andofcourseherextraordinaryescapadethenexteveningdidnothelpmattersany.Itisbetter，Iknow，thatsheshouldn’tbehere——foratime.ThoughIshallmissherterribly.But，tellme，whatisit——whatdoesshewanttodo？"
　　"ShesayssheguessessheishomesickforHampdenFalls;thatshe’dliketogobackthereforafewweeksthissummerifI’llgowithher.The——thedearchildseemssuddenlytohavetakenagreatfancytome，"explainedAuntHannah，unsteadily."Ineversawhersoaffectionate."
　　"Sheisadeargirl——averydeargirl;andshehasawarmheart."
　　Williamclearedhisthroatsonorously，buteventhatdidnotclearhisvoice."Itwasherheartthatledherwrongtheothernight，"
　　hedeclared."Herswasabraveandfearlessact——butaveryunwiseone.MuchasIdeploreBertram’sintimacywithSeaver，IshouldhesitatetotakethecoursemarkedoutbyBilly.Bertramisnotachild.Buttellmemoreofthistripofyours.HowdidBillyhappentosuggestit？"
　　"Idon’tknow.Inoticedyesterdaythatsheseemedstrangelysilent——unhappy，infact.Shesataloneinherroomthegreaterpartoftheday，andIcouldnotgetheroutofit.ButthismorningshecametomydoorasbrightasthesunitselfandmademethepropositionItoldyouof.Shesaysheraunt’shouseisclosed，awaitingitssale;butthatshewouldliketoopenitforawhilethissummer，ifI’dliketogo.Naturally，youcanunderstandthatI’dveryquicklyfallinwithaplanlikethat——
　　onewhichpromisedsoeasilytosettleourdifficulties."
　　"Yes，ofcourse，ofcourse，"mutteredWilliam."Itisveryfine，veryfineindeed，"heconcluded.Andagainhisvoicefailedquitetomatchhiswordsinenthusiasm.
　　"ThenI’llgoandbegintoseetomythings，"murmuredMrs.
　　Stetson，risingtoherfeet."Billyseemsanxioustogetaway."
　　Billydid，indeed，seemanxioustogetaway.Sheannouncedherintendeddepartureatoncetothefamily.Shecalleditavisittoheroldhome，andsheseemedverygladinherpreparations.Iftherewasanythingforcedinthisgayety，noonenoticedit，oratleast，noonespokeofit.ThefamilysawverylittleofBilly，indeed，thesedays.Shesaidthatshewasbusy;thatshehadpackingtodo.ShestoppedtakinglessonsofCyril，andvisitedBertram’sstudioonlyonceduringthewholethreedaysbeforeshewentaway，andthenmerelytogetsomethingsthatbelongedtoher.
　　Onthefourthday，almostbeforethefamilyrealizedwhatwashappening，shewasgone;andwithherhadgoneMrs.StetsonandSpunk.
　　Thefamilysaidtheylikedit——thequiet，thefreedom.Theysaidtheylikedtobealone——allbutWilliam.Hesaidnothing.
　　Andyet——
　　WhenBertramwenttohisstudiothatmorninghedidnotpickuphisbrushesuntilhehadsatforlongminutesbeforethesketchofared—cheeked，curly—headedyounggirlwhoseeyesheldapeculiarlywistfulappeal;andCyril，athispianoup—stairs，satwithidlefingersuntiltheyfinallydriftedintoasimplelittlemelody——thelastthingBillyhadbeenlearning.
　　ItwasPetewhobroughtinthekitten;andBillyhadbeengoneawholeweekthen.
　　"Thepoorlittlebeastwascryin’atthealleywaydoor，sir，"heexplained."I——Imadesoboldastobringhimin."
　　"Ofcourse，"saidWilliam."Didyoufeedit？"
　　"Yes，sir;Lingdid."
　　Therewasapause，thenPetespoke，diffidently.
　　"Ithought，sir，ifyedidn’tmind，I’dkeepit.I’lltrytoseethatitstaysdown—stairs，sir，outofyerway."
　　"That’sallright，Pete;keepit，byallmeans，byallmeans，"
　　approvedWilliam.
　　"Thankye，sir.Yesee，it’sastray.Ithasn’tgotanyhome.
　　And，didyenotice，sir？itlookslikeSpunk."
　　"Yes，Inoticed，"saidWilliam，stirringwithsuddenrestlessness.
　　"Inoticed."
　　"Yes，sir，"saidPete.Andheturnedandcarriedthesmallgraycataway.
　　Thenewkittendidnotstaydown—stairs.Petetried，itistrue，tokeephispromisetowatchit;butafterhehadseenthelittleanimalcarriedsurreptitiouslyup—stairsinMr.William’sarms，herelaxedhisvigilance.Somedayslaterthekittenappearedwithahugepinkbowbehinditsears，somewhatawkwardlytied，ifitmustbeconfessed.Whereitcamefrom，orwhoputittherewasnotknown——untilonedaythekittenwasfoundinthehalldelightedlychewingattheendofwhathadbeenarollofpinkribbon.Upthestairsledatrailofpinkribbonandcurlingwhitepaper——andtheendofthetrailwasinWilliam’sroom.
　　CHAPTERXVIII
　　BILLYWRITESANOTHERLETTER
　　BythemiddleofJuneonlyWilliamandthegraykittenwereleftwithPeteandDongLingintheBeaconStreethouse.CyrilhadsailedforEngland，andBertramhadgoneonasketchingtripwithafriend.
　　ToWilliamthehousethissummerwasunusuallylonely;indeed，hefoundthesilent，desertedroomsalmostunbearable.Eventhepresenceofthelittlegraycatservedonlytoaccentuatetheloneliness——itremindedhimofBilly.
　　WilliammissedBilly.HeownedthatnoweventoPete.Hesaidthathewouldbegladwhenshecameback.TohimselfhesaidthathewishedhehadnotfalleninquitesoreadilywithAuntHannah’snotionofgettingthechildaway.Itwasallnonsense，hedeclared.Allsheneededwasalittlecurbinganddirecting，bothofwhichcouldjustaswellhavebeendonethereathome.Butshehadgone，anditcouldnotbehelpednow.Theonlythingleftforhimtodowastoseethatitdidnotoccuragain.WhenBillycamebacksheshouldstay，exceptfornecessaryabsencesforschool，ofcourse.AllthisWilliamsettledinhisownmindquitetohisownsatisfaction，entirelyforgetting，strangetosay，thatithadbeenBilly’sownsuggestionthatshegoaway.
　　VerypromptlyWilliamwrotetoBilly.Hetoldherhowhemissedher，andsaidthathehadstoppedtryingtosortandcataloguehiscollectionsuntilsheshouldbetheretohelphim.Hetoldher，too，afteratime，ofthegraykitten，"Spunkie，"thatlookedsomuchlikeSpunk.
　　Inreplyhereceivedplumpwhiteenvelopesdirectedintheround，schoolboyhandthatherememberedsowell.Intheenvelopeswereletters，cheeryandentertaining，likeBillyherself.Theythankedhimforallhismanykindnesses，andtheytoldhimsomethingofwhatBillywasdoing.Theyshowedunboundedinterestinthenewkitten，andinallelsethatWilliamwroteabout;buttheyhintedveryplainlythathehadbetternotwaitforhertohelphimoutonthecatalogue，foritwouldsoonbeautumn，andshewouldbeinschool.
　　Williamfrownedatthis，andshookhishead;yetheknewthatitwastrue.
　　InAugustWilliamclosedtheBeaconstreethouseandwenttotheRangeleyLakesonacampingtrip.Hetoldhimselfthathewouldnotgohaditnotbeenforapromisegiventoanoldcollegefriendmonthsbefore.True，hehadbeenanticipatingthistripallwinter;butitoccurredtohimnowthatitwouldbemuchmoreinterestingtogotoHampdenFallsandseeBilly.HehadbeentotheRangeleyLakes，andhehadnotbeentoHampdenFalls;besides，therewouldbeNedHardingandthosequeeroldmaidswiththeirshadedhouseandsocketedchairstosee.Inshort，toWilliam，atthemoment，thereseemednoplacequitesoabsorbinglyinterestingaswasHampdenFalls.ButhewenttotheRangeleyLakes.
　　InSeptemberCyrilcamebackfromEurope，andBertramfromtheAdirondackswherehehadbeenspendingthemonthofAugust.
　　Williamalreadyhadarrived，andwithPeteandDongLinghadopenedthehouse.
　　"Where’sBilly？Isn’tBillyhere？"demandedBertram.
　　"No.Sheisn’tbackyet，"repliedWilliam.
　　"Youdon’tmeantosayshe’sstayedupthereallsummer！"exclaimedCyril.
　　"Why，yes，I——Isupposeso，"hesitatedWilliam."Yousee，I
　　haven’theardbutonceforamonth.I’vebeendowninMaine，youknow."
　　WilliamwrotetoBillythatnight.
　　"Mydear：——"hesaidinpart."Ihopeyou’llcomehomerightaway.
　　WewanttoseeSOMETHINGofyoubeforeyougoawayagain，andyouknowtheschoolswillbeopeningsoon.
　　"Bytheway，ithasjustoccurredtomeasIwritethatperhaps，afterall，youwon’thavetogoquiteaway.ThereareplentyofgoodschoolsforyoungladiesrightinandnearBoston，whichIamsureyoucouldattend，andstillliveathome.Supposeyoucomebackthenassoonasyoucan，andwe’lltalkitup.Andthatremindsme，IwonderhowSpunkwillgetalongwithSpunkie.
　　SpunkiehasbeenboardingoutallAugustatacathome，butheseemsgladtogetbacktous.Iamanxioustoseethetwolittlechapstogether，justtofindouthowmuchaliketheyreallydolook."
　　VerypromptlycameBilly’sanswer;butWilliam’sface，afterhehadreadtheletter，wasalmostasblankasithadbeenonthatAprildaywhenBilly’sfirstlettercame——thoughthistimeforafardifferentreason.
　　"Why，boys，she——isn’t——coming，"heannouncedindismay.
　　"Isn’tcoming！"ejaculatedtwoastonishedVoices.
　　"No."
　　"Not——at——ALL？"
　　"Why，ofcourse，later，"retortedWilliam，withunwontedsharpness.
　　"Butnotnow.Thisiswhatshesays."Andhereadaloud：
　　"DEARUNCLEWILLIAM：——Youpoordearman！DidyouthinkI’dreallyletyouspendyourtimeandyourthoughtoverhuntingupaschoolforme，afteralltherestyouhavedoneforme？Notabitofit！
　　Why，AuntHannahandIhavebeenburiedunderschoolcataloguesallsummer，andIhavestudiedthemalluntilIknowjustwhichhasturkeydinnersonSundays，andwhichicecreamatleasttwiceaweek.Andit’sallsettled，too，longago.I’mgoingtoagirls’
　　schooluptheHudsonalittleway——alovelyplace，I’msure，fromthepicturesofit.
　　"Oh，andanotherthing;Ishallgorightfromhere.TwogirlsatHampdenFallsaregoing，andIshallgowiththem.Isn’tthatafinechanceforme？Youseeitwouldneverdo，anyway，formetogoalone——me，a’Billy’——unlessIsentaspecialcourieraheadtoannouncethat’Billy’wasagirl.
　　"AuntHannahhasdecidedtostayherethiswinterintheoldhouse.
　　Shelikesiteversomuch，andIdon’tthinkIshallselltheplacejustyet，anyway.Shewillgoback，ofcourse，toBoston（afterI’vegone）togetsomethingsatthehousethatshe’llwant，andalsotodosomeshopping.Butshe’llletyouknowwhenshe’llbethere.
　　"I’llwritemorelater，butjustnowI’minaterriblerush.I
　　onlywritethisnotetosetyourpoorheartatrestabouthavingtohuntupaschoolforme.
　　"Withlovetoall，"BILLY."
　　AshadhappenedoncebeforeafteraletterfromBillyhadbeenread，therewasalongpause.
　　"Well，byJove！"breathedBertram.
　　"It’sverysensible，I’msure，"declaredCyril."Still，Imustconfess，Iwouldhavelikedtopickoutherpianoteacherforher."
　　Williamsaidnothing——perhapsbecausehewasreadingBilly’sletteragain.
　　Ateighto’clockthatnightBertramtappedonCyril’sdoor.
　　"What’sthetrouble？"demandedCyrilinanswertothelookontheother’sface.
　　Bertramliftedhiseyebrowsoddly.
　　"I’mnotsurewhetheryou’llcallit’trouble’ornot，"hereplied;
　　"butIthinkit’ssafetosaythatBillyisgone——forgood."
　　"Forgood！Whatdoyoumean？——thatshe’snotcomingback——ever？"
　　"Exactlythat."
　　"Nonsense！What’sputthatnotionintoyourhead？"
　　"Billy’sletterfirst;afterthat，Pete."
　　"Pete！"
　　"Yes.Hecametomeafewminutesago，lookingasifhehadseenaghost.ItseemshesweptBilly’sroomsthismorningandputtheminorderagainsthercoming;andtonightWilliamtoldhimthatshewouldn’tbehereatpresent.Petecamestraighttome.Hesaidhedidn’tdaretellMr.William，buthe’dgottotellsomeone：therewasn’tonesinglethingofMissBilly’sleftinherroomsnoranywhereelseinthehouse——notsomuchasahandkerchieforahairpin."
　　"Hm—m;thatdoeslook——suspicious，"murmuredCyril."What’sup，doyouthink？"
　　"Don’tknow;butsomething，sure.Still，ofcoursewemaybewrong.Wewon’tsayanythingtoWillaboutit，anyhow.Pooroldchap，’twouldworryhim，speciallyifhethoughtBilly’sfeelingshadbeenhurt."
　　"Hurt？——nonsense！Why，wedideverythingforher——everything！"
　　"Yes，Iknow——andshetriedtodoEVERYTHINGforus，too，"retortedBertram，quizzically，asheturnedaway.
　　CHAPTERXIX
　　SEEINGBILLYOFF
　　EarlyinOctoberMrs.StetsonarrivedattheBeaconStreethouse，butshedidnotstaylong.
　　"I’vecomeforjustafewthingsIwant，andtodosomeshopping，"
　　sheexplained.
　　"ButAuntHannah，"remonstratedWilliam，"whatisthemeaningofthis？WhyareyoustayingupthereatHampdenFalls？"
　　"Ilikeitthere，William;andwhyshouldn’tIstay？Surelythere’snoneedformetobeherenow，withBillyaway！"
　　"ButBilly’scomingback！"
　　"Ofcourseshe’scomingback，"laughedAuntHannah，"butnotthiswinter，certainly.Why，William，what’sthematter？I’msure，I
　　thinkit’sabeautifularrangement.Why，don’tyouremember？It’sjustwhatwesaidwewanted——tokeepBillyawayforawhile.Andthebestpartofitis，it’sherownideafromthestart."
　　"Yes，Iknow，Iknow，"frownedWilliam："butI’mnotsure，afterall，thatthatideaofourswasn’tamistake，——amistakethatsheneededtogetaway."
　　"Never！Wewerejustrightaboutit，"declaredAuntHannah，withconviction.
　　"AndisBilly——happy？"
　　"Sheseemstobe."
　　"Hm—m;well，THAT’Sgood，"saidWilliam，asheturnedtogouptohisroom.Butasheclimbedthestairshesighed;andtohearhim，onewouldhavethoughtitanythingbutgoodtohim——thatBillywashappy.
　　Onebyonetheweekspassed.Mrs.StetsonhadlongsincegonebacktoHampdenFalls;andBertramsaidthattheStratawasbeginningtolooknaturalagain.Thereremainednow，indeed，onlySpunkie，thesmallgraycat，toremindanyoneofthedaysthatweregone——
　　though，tobesure，therewereBilly’sletters，iftheymightbecalledareminder.
　　Billydidnotwriteoften.Shesaidthatshewas"toobusytobreathe."SuchlettersasdidcomefromherwereaddressedtoWilliam，thoughtheysooncametobeclaimedbytheentirefamily.
　　BertramandCyrilfranklydemandedthatWilliamreadthemaloud;
　　andevenPetealwayscontrivedtohavesomedustingor"puttering"
　　withinearshot——asubterfugequitewellunderstood，butneverreprovedbyanyofthebrothers.
　　WhentheChristmasvacationdrewnear，WilliamwrotethathehopedBillyandAuntHannahwouldspenditwiththem;butBillyansweredthatalthoughsheappreciatedtheirkindnessandthankedthemforit，yetshemustdeclinetheirinvitation，asshehadalreadyinvitedseveralofthegirlstogohomewithhertoHampdenFallsforacountryChristmas.
　　FortheEastervacationWilliamwasevenmoreinsistent——butsowasBilly：shehadalreadyacceptedaninvitationtogohomewithoneofthegirls，andshedidnotthinkitwouldbeatallpolitetochangeherplansnow.
　　Williamfrettednotalittle.EvenCyrilandBertramsaidthatitwas"toobad";thattheythemselveswouldliketoseethegirl——sotheywould！
　　Itwasinthespring，atthecloseofschool，however，thattheheaviestblowfell：BillywasnotcomingtoBostoneventhen.ShewrotethatsheandAuntHannahweregoingto"runacrossthewaterforalittletripthroughtheBritishIsles";andthattheirpassagewasalreadyengaged.
　　"Andsoyousee，"sheexplained，"Ishallnothaveaminutetospare.There’llbeonlytimetoskiphomeforAuntHannah，andtopackthetrunksbeforeit’llbetimetostart."
　　BertramlookedatCyrilsignificantlywhenthisletterwasreadaloud;andafterwardhemutteredinCyril’sear：
　　"Yousee！It’sHampdenFallsshecalls’home’now——nottheStrata."
　　"Yes，Isee，"frownedCyril."Itdoeslooksuspicious."
　　TwodaysbeforethedateofBilly’sexpectedsailing，Williamannouncedatthebreakfasttablethathewasgoingawayonbusiness;mightbegoneuntiltheendoftheweek.
　　"Youdon’tsay，"commentedBertram."I’Mgoingto—morrow，butI’mcomingbackinacoupleofdays."
　　"Hm—m;"murmuredWilliam，abstractedly."Oh，well，Imaybebackbeforetheendoftheweek."
　　OnlyonemealdidCyrileataloneafterhisbrothershadgone;thenhetoldPetethathehaddecidedtotakethenightboatforNewYork.Therewasalittlematterthatcalledhimthere，hesaid，andhebelievedthetripbywaterwouldbeapleasure，thenightwassofineandwarm.
　　InNewYorkCyrilhadlittletroubleinfindingBilly，asheknewthesteamshipshewastotake.
　　"IthoughtaslongasIwasinNewYorkto—dayI’djustcomeandsaygood—bytoyouandAuntHannah，"heinformedher，withanevidentaimtowardmakinghispresenceappeartobecasual.
　　"Thatwasgoodofyou！"exclaimedBilly."AndhowareUncleWilliamandMr.Bertram？"
　　"Verywell，Ifancy，thoughtheyweren’ttherewhenIleft，"
　　repliedtheman.
　　"Oh！——goneaway？"
　　"Yes.Alittlematterofbusinesstheysaid;but——well，byJove！"
　　hebrokeoff，hisgazeonafamiliarfigurehurryingatthatmomenttowardthem."There’sWilliamnow！"
　　William，withnoeyesbutforBilly，camerapidlyforward.
　　"Well，well，Billy！IthoughtaslongasIhappenedtobeinNewYorkto—dayI’djustrundowntotheboatandseeyouandAuntHannahoff，andwish——CYRIL！WheredidYOUcomefrom？"
　　Billylaughed.
　　"Hejusthappenedtobeintown，too，UncleWilliam，likeyou，"sheexplained."AndI’msureIthinkit’slovelyofyoutobesokind.
　　AuntHannah’llbeuprightaway.Shewentdowntothestateroomto——"ThistimeitwasBillywhostoppedabruptly.Thetwomenfacinghercouldnotseewhatshesaw，andnotuntiltheirbrotherBertram’smerrygreetingfellontheirearsdidtheyunderstandhersuddensilence.
　　"Andisthisthewayyoumeanttorunawayfromus，younglady？"
　　criedBertram."Notsofast！Yousee，IhappenedtobeinNewYorkthismorning，andsoI——"SomethinginBilly’sfacesentapausetohiswordsjustashiseyesspiedthetwomenatthegirl’sside.Foramomenthestareddumbly;thenhegaveamerrygestureofdefeat.
　　"It’sallup！Imightaswellconfess.I’VEbeenplanningthisthingforthreeweeks，Billy，eversinceyourlettercame，infact.
　　Asformytwofellow—sinnershere，I’llwagertheyweren’ttwodaysbehindmeintheirplanning.Sonow，ownup，boys！"
　　WilliamandCyril，however，didnothaveto"ownup."Mrs.Stetsonappearedatthemomentandcreated，forthem，averywelcomediversion.
　　Longminuteslater，whenthegood—byeshadbecomenothingbutaflutterofwhitehandkerchiefsfromdecktoshore，andshoretodeck，Williamdrewalongsigh.
　　"That’sanicelittlegirl，boys，anicelittlegirl！"heexclaimed."Ideclare！Ididn’tsupposeI’dmindsomuchhergoingsofaraway."
　　CHAPTERXX
　　BILLY，THEMYTH
　　ToallappearancesitcameaboutverynaturallythatBillydidnotreturntoAmericaforsometime.DuringthesummershewroteoccasionallytoWilliam，andgaveglowingaccountsoftheirtravels.TheninSeptembercamethelettertellinghimthattheyhadconcludedtostaythroughthewinterinParis.Billywrotethatshehaddecidednottogotocollege.ShewouldtakeupsomestudiesthereinParis，shesaid，butshewoulddevoteherselfmoreparticularlytohermusic.
　　WhenthenextsummercametherewasstillsomethingotherthanAmericatoclaimherattention：theCalderwellshadinvitedhertocruisewiththemforthreemonths.Theiryachtwasalittlefloatingpalaceofdelight，Billydeclared，nottomentionthecharmoftheunknownlandsandwatersthatsheandAuntHannahwouldsee.
　　OfallthisBillywrotetoWilliam——atoccasionalintervals——butshedidnotcomehome.Evenwhenthenextautumncame，therewasstillParistodetainherforanotherlongwinterofstudy.
　　IntheHenshawhouseonBeaconStreet，WilliammournednotalittleaseachrecurringseasonbroughtnoBilly.
　　"Theidea！It’sjustasifonedidn’thaveanamesake！"hefumed.
　　"Well，didyouhaveone？"Bertramdemandedoneday."Really，Will，I’mbeginningtothinkshe’samyth.Longyearsago，fromthefirstofApriltillJunewedidhavetwofrolicsomespritesherethatannouncedthemselvesas’Billy’and’Spunk，’I’llown.Andayearlater，bywaysdeviousandsecret，wethreemanagedtoseetheonecalled’Billy’offonagreatsteamship.Sincethen，what？A
　　word——amessage——ascrapofpaper.Billy’samyth，Isay！"
　　Williamsighed.
　　"SometimesIdon’tknowbutyouareright，"headmitted."Why，it’llbethreeyearsnextJunesinceBillywashere.Shemustbenearlytwenty—one——andweknowalmostnothingabouther."
　　"That’sso.Iwonder——"Bertrampaused，andlaughedalittle，"I
　　wonderifNOWshe’dplayguardianangeltomethroughthestreetsofBoston."
　　Williamthrewakeenglanceintohisbrother’sface.
　　"Idon’tbelieveitwouldbequitenecessary，NOW，Bert，"hesaidquietly.
　　Theotherflushedalittle，buthiseyessoftened.
　　"Maybenot，Will;still——onecanalwaysfindsomeusefor——aguardianangel，youknow，"hefinished，almostunderhisbreath.
　　ToCyrilBertramhadoccasionallyspoken，duringthelasttwoyears，oftheirfirstsuspicionsconcerningBilly’sabsence.Theyspeculatedvaguely，too，astowhyshehadgone，andifshewouldevercomeback;andtheywonderedifanythingcouldhavewoundedherandsentheraway.ToWilliamtheysaidnothingofallthis，however;thoughtheyagreedthattheywouldhaveaskedKateforheropinion，hadshebeenthere.ButKatewasnotthere.Asitchanced，agoodbusinessopportunityhadcalledKate’shusbandtoaWesterntownverysoonafterBillyherselfhadgonetoHampdenFalls;andsincethefamily’sremovaltotheWest，Mrs.HartwellhadnotoncereturnedtoBoston.
　　ItwasinApril，threeyearssinceBilly’sfirstappearanceintheBeaconStreethouse，thatBertrammethisfriend，HughCalderwell，onthestreetoneafternoon，andbroughthimhometodinner.
　　HughCalderwellwasayouthwho，Bertramsaid，hadbeenbornwithawholedozensilverspoonsinhismouth.And，indeed，itwouldseemso，ifpresentprosperitywereanyindication.Hewasagood—
　　lookingyoungfellowwithafrankmanlinessthatappealedtomen，andadeferentialchivalrythatappealedtowomen;acombinationthatbroughthimmanyfriends——andsomeenemies.Withplentyofmoneytoindulgeapassionfortraveling，youngCalderwellhadspentthemostofhistimesincegraduationindaringtripsintotheheartofalmostimpenetrableforests，ortothetopofalmostinaccessiblemountains，withanoccasionalmoreordinarytriptogivevariety.Hehadnowcometothepoint，however，wherehewasdeterminedto"settledowntosomethingthatmeantsomething，"hetoldtheHenshaws，asthefourmensmokedinBertram’sdenafterdinner.
　　"Yes，sir，Ihave，"heiterated."And，bytheway，thelittlegirlthathassetmetothinkinginsuchgoodearnestisafriendofyours，too，——MissNeilson.ImetherinParis.Shewasonouryachtalllastsummer."
　　Threemensatsuddenlyerectintheirchairs.
　　"Billy？"criedthreevoices."DoyouknowBilly？"
　　"Tobesure！Andyoudo，too，shesays."
　　"Oh，no，wedon’t，"disputedBertram，emphatically."ButweWISH
　　wedid！"
　　Hisguestlaughed.
　　"Well，IfancyyouDOknowher，oryouwouldn’thaveansweredlikethat，"heretorted."ForyoujustbegintoknowMissBillywhenyoufindoutthatyouDON’Tknowher.Sheisacharminggirl——averycharminggirl."
　　"Sheismynamesake，"announcedWilliam，inwhatBertramcalledhis"finestever"voicethatheusedonlyforthechoicestbitsinhiscollections.
　　"Yes，shetoldme，"smiledCalderwell."’Billy’for’William.’
　　Oddidea，too，butclever.Ithelpstodistinguishherevenmore——
　　thoughshedoesn’tneedit，forthatmatter."
　　"’Doesn’tneedit，’"echoedWilliaminapuzzledvoice.
　　"No.Perhapsyoudon’tknow，Mr.Henshaw，butMissBillyisaverypopularyoungwoman.Youhavereasontobeproudofyournamesake."
　　"Ihavealwaysbeenthat，"declaredWilliam，withjustatouchofhauteur.
　　"Tellusabouther，"beggedBertram."YourememberIsaidthatwewishedwedidknowher."
　　Calderwellsmiled.
　　"Idon’tbelieve，afterall，thatyoudoknowmuchabouther，"hebeganmusingly."Billyisnotonewhotalksmuchofherself，I
　　fancy，inherletters."
　　Williamfrowned.Thistimetherewasmorethanatouchofhauteurinhisvoice.
　　"MISSNEILSONisnotonetoshowvanityanywhere，"hesaid，withsuggestiveemphasisonthename.
　　"Indeedsheisn’t，"agreedCalderwell，heartily."Sheisafinegirl——quiteoneofthefinestIknow，infact."
　　Therewasanuncomfortablesilence.OverinthecornerCyrilpuffedathiscigarwithanairalmostofboredom.Hehadnotspokensincehisfirstsurprisedquestioningwiththeothers，"DoyouknowBilly？"Williamwasstillfrowning.EvenBertramworealookthatwasnotquitesatisfied.
　　"MissNeilsonhasspenttwowintersinParisnow，youknow，"
　　resumedCalderwell，afteramoment;"andsheisverypopularbothwiththeAmericancolony，andwiththeotherstudents.Asforher’AuntHannah’——theyallmakeapetofher;butthatis，perhaps，becauseBillyherselfissodevoted."
　　AgainWilliamfrownedatthefamiliar"Billy";butCalderwelltalkedonunheeding.
　　"Afterall，I’mnotsurebutsomeofusregard’AuntHannah’withscantfavor，occasionally，"helaughed;"somethingasifshewerethedragonthatguardedtheprincess，youknow.MissBillyIS
　　popularwiththemen，andshehassuitorsenoughtoturnanygirl’shead——butherown."
　　"Suitors！"criedWilliam，plainlyaghast."Why，Billy’snothingbutachild！"
　　Calderwellgaveanoddsmile.
　　"Howlongisitsinceyou’veseen——MissNeilson？"heasked.
　　"Twoyears."
　　"Andthenonlyforafewminutesjustbeforeshesailed，"amendedBertram."Wehaven’treallyseenmuchofhersincethreeyearsago."
　　"Hm—m;well，you’llseeforyourselfsoon.Youknowshe’scominghomenextmonth."
　　Notoneofthebrothersdidknowit——butnotoneofthemintendedthatCalderwellshouldfindoutthattheydidnot.
　　"Yes，she’scominghome，"saidWilliam，liftinghischinalittle.
　　"Oh，yes，nextmonth，"addedBertram，nonchalantly.
　　EvenCyrilacrosstheroomwasnottobeoutdone.
　　"Yes.MissNeilsoncomeshomenextmonth，"hesaid.
　　CHAPTERXXI
　　BILLY，THEREALITY
　　VeryearlyinMaycamethecheeryletterfromBillyherselfannouncingthenewsofherintendedreturn.
　　"AndIshallbesogladtoseeyouall，"shewroteinclosing."ItseemssolongsinceIleftAmerica."Thenshesignedhernamewith"kindestregardstoall"——Billydidnotsend"lovetoall"anymore.
　　Williamatoncebegantomakeplansforhisnamesake’scomfort.
　　"But，Will，shedidn’tsayshewascominghere，"Bertramremindedhim.
　　"Shedidn’tneedto，"smiledWilliam，confidently."Shejusttookitforgranted，ofcourse.Thisisherhome."
　　"Butithasn’tbeen——foryears.She’scalledHampdenFalls’home.’"
　　"Iknow，butthatwasbefore，"demurredWilliam，hiseyesalittleanxious."Besides，they’vesoldthehousenow，youknow.There’snowhereforhertogobuthere，Bertram."
　　"Allright，"acquiescedtheyoungerman，stilldoubtingly."Maybethat’sso;maybe！But——"hedidnotfinishhissentence，andhiseyesweretroubledashewatchedhisbrotherbegintorearrangeBilly’srooms.Intime，however，sosurewasWilliamofBilly’sreturntotheBeaconStreethouse，thatBertramceasedtoquestion;
　　and，withalmostasmuchconfidenceasWilliamhimselfdisplayed，hedevotedhisenergiestothepreparationsforBilly’sarrival.
　　Andwhatpreparationstheywere！EvenCyrilhelpedthistimetotheextentofplacingonBilly’spianoacopyofhislatestbook，andapileofnewmusic.Norwerethemelodiesthatfloateddownfromtheupperfloorakintofuneralmarches;theywereperilouslyneartobeingalliedto"ragtime."
　　Atlasteverythingwasready.TherewasnotonemorebitofdusttocatchPete’seye，noronemoreadornmentthatdemandedWilliam’scarefulhandtoadjust.InBilly’sroomsnewcurtainsgracedthewindowsandnewrugsthefloors.InMrs.Stetson’s，too，similarchangeshadbeenmade.Thelatestandbest"FaceofaGirl"smiledatonefromaboveBilly’spiano，andtheveryrarestofWilliam’streasuresadornedthemantelpiece.Nogunsnorknivesnorfishing—
　　rodsmettheeyesnow.Instead，ateveryturn，therewasahintoffemininetastes：amirror，aworkbasket，alowsewing—chair，astandwithateatray.Andeverywherewereroses，up—stairsanddown—stairs，untiltheairwasheavywiththeirperfume.Inthedining—roomPetewasagain"swingingbackandforthlikeapendulum，"itistrue;butitwasacheerfulpendulumto—day，anxiousonlythatnotimeshouldbelost.Inthekitchenalonewasthereunhappiness，andtherebecauseDongLinghadalreadyspoiledawholecakeofchocolateinavainattempttomakeBilly’sfavoritefudge.EvenSpunkie，grownnowtobesleek，lazy，andmajesticallyindifferent，wasinholidayattire，forabrand—newpinkbowofhugedimensionsadornedhisfatneck——forthefirsttimeinmanymonths.
　　"Yousee，"WilliamhadexplainedtoBertram，"IputonthatribbonagainbecauseIthoughtitwouldmakeSpunkieseemmorehomelike，andmorelikeSpunk.Youknowtherewasn’tanythingBillymissedsomuchasthatkittenwhenshewentabroad.AuntHannahsaidso."
　　"Yes，Iknow，"Bertramhadlaughed;"butstill，Spunkieisn’tSpunk，youunderstand！"hehadfinished，withavisioninhiseyesofBillyasshehadlookedthatfirstnightwhenshehadtriumphantlyliftedfromthegreenbasketthelittlegraykittenwithitsenormouspinkbow.Thistimetherewasnocircuitousjourneying，nosecrecyinthetriptoNewYork.QuiteasamatterofcoursethethreebrothermadetheirplanstomeetBilly，andquiteasamatterofcoursetheymether.PerhapstheonlycloudinthehorizonoftheirhappinesswasthepresenceofCalderwell.
　　He，too，hadcometomeetBilly——andalltheHenshawbrotherswerevaguelyconsciousofagrowingfeelingofdisliketowardCalderwell.
　　Billywasunmistakablygladtoseethem——andtoseeCalderwell.ItwaswhileshewastalkingtoCalderwell，indeed，thatWilliamandCyrilandBertramhadanopportunityreallytoseethegirl，andtonotewhattimehaddoneforher.Theyknewthen，atonce，thattimehadbeenverykind.
　　ItwasaslimBillythattheysaw，withaheadroyallypoised，andachinthatwasroundandsoft，andyetknewwellitsownmind.
　　Theeyeswerestillappealing，inaway，yetbehindtheappeallayunsoundeddepthsof——notoneofthebrotherscouldquitemakeuphismindjustwhat，yetallthebrothersdeterminedtofindout.
　　Thehairstillcurleddistractinglybehindtheprettyears，andfluffedintoburnishedbronzewherethewindhadloosenedit.Thecheekswerepalernow，thoughtherose—flushstillglowedwarmlythroughtheclear，smoothskin.Themouth——Billy’smouthhadalwaysbeenfascinating，Bertramsuddenlydecided，ashewatcheditnow.Hewantedtopaintit——again.Itwasnottoolargeforbeautynortoosmallforstrength.Itcurveddelightfully，andthelowerliphadjustthefullnessandthecolorthatheliked——topaint，hesaidtohimself.
　　William，too，waswatchingBilly’smouth;infact——thoughhedidnotknowit——oneneverwaslongnearBillywithoutnoticinghermouth，ifshetalked.Williamthoughtitpretty，merry，andcharminglykissable;butjustnowhewishedthatitwouldtalktohim，andnottoCalderwellanylonger.Cyril——indeed，CyrilwaspayinglittleattentiontoBilly.HehadturnedtoAuntHannah.
　　Totellthetruth，itseemedtoCyrilthat，afterall，Billywasverymuchlikeothermerry，thoughtless，rathernoisyyoungwomen，ofwhomheknew——anddisliked——scores.IthadoccurredtohimsuddenlythatperhapsitwouldnotbeunalloyedblisstotakethisyoungnamesakeofWilliam’shomewiththem.
　　Itwasnotuntilanhourlater，whenBilly，AuntHannah，andtheHenshawshadreachedthehotelwheretheyweretospendthenight，thattheHenshawbrothersbeganreallytogetacquaintedwithBilly.SheseemedthenmoreliketheirownBilly——theBillythattheyhadknown.
　　"AndI’msogladtobehere，"shecried;"andtoseeyouall.
　　AmericaISthebestplace，afterall！"
　　"AndofAmerica，BostonistheHub，youknow，"Bertramremindedher.
　　"Itis，"noddedBilly.
　　"Andithasn’tchangedamite，excepttogrowbetter.You’llseeto—morrow."
　　"AsifIhadn’tbeencountingthedays！"sheexulted."Andnowwhathaveyoubeendoing——allofyou？"
　　"Justwaittillyousee，"laughedBertram."They’reallspreadoutforyourinspection."
　　"Anew’FaceofaGirl’？"
　　"Ofcourse——yardsofthem！"
　　"Andheapsof’OldBlues’and’blackbasalts’？"shequestioned，turningtoWilliam.
　　"Well，a——few，"hesitatedWilliam，modestly.
　　"And——themusic;whatofthat？"BillylookednowatCyril.
　　"You’llsee，"heshrugged."There’sverylittle，afterall——ofanything."
　　Billygaveawiseshakeofherhead.
　　"Iknowbetter;andIwanttoseeitallsomuch.We’vetalkedandtalkedofit;haven’twe，AuntHannah？——ofwhatwewoulddowhenwegottoBoston？"
　　"Yes，mydear;YOUhave."
　　Thegirllaughed.
　　"Iaccepttheamendment，"sheretortedwithmocksubmission."I
　　supposeitisalwaysIwhotalk."
　　"Itwas——whenIpaintedyou，"teasedBertram."Bytheway，I’llLETyoutalkifyou’llposeagainforme，"hefinishedeagerly.
　　Billyuptiltedhernose.
　　"Doyouthink，sir，youdeserveit，afterthatspeech？"shedemanded.
　　"ButhowaboutYOURart——yourmusic？"entreatedWilliam."Youhavesaidsolittleofthatinyourletters."
　　Billyhesitated.ForabriefmomentsheglancedatCyril.Hedidnotappeartohaveheardhisbrother’squestion.HewastalkingwithAuntHannah.
　　"Oh，Iplay——some，"murmuredthegirl，almostevasively."Buttellmeofyourself，UncleWilliam，andofwhatyouaredoing."AndWilliamneedednosecondbidding.
　　ItwassometimelaterthatBillyturnedtohimwithanamazedexclamationinresponsetosomethinghehadsaid.
　　"Homewithyou！Why，UncleWilliam，whatdoyoumean？Youdidn’treallythinkyou’dgottobetroubledwithMEanylonger！"shecriedmerrily.
　　William’sfacepaled，thenflushed.
　　"Ididnotcallit’trouble，’Billy，"hesaidquietly.Hisgrievedeyeslookedstraightintohersanddrovethemerrimentquiteaway.
　　"Oh，I’msosorry，"shesaidgently."AndIappreciateyourkindness，indeedIdo;butIcouldn’t——reallyIcouldn’tthinkofsuchathing！"
　　"Andyoudon’thavetothinkofit，"cutinBertram，whoconsideredthatthesituationwasbecomingmuchtooserious."Allyouhavetodoistocome."
　　Billyshookherhead.
　　"Youaresogood，allofyou！Butyoudidn’t——youreallydidn’tthinkIWAS——coming！"sheprotested.
　　"Indeedwedid，"assertedBertram，promptly;"andwehavedoneeverythingtogetreadyforyou，too，eventoriggingupSpunkietomasqueradeasSpunk.I’llwarrantthatPete’snoseisalreadyflattenedagainstthewindow—pane，lestweshouldHAPPENtocometo—night;andthere’snotellinghowmanycakesofchocolateDongLinghasspoiledbythistime.Welefthimtryingtomakefudge，youknow."
　　Billylaughed——butshecried，too;atleast，hereyesgrewsuddenlymoist.Bertramtriedtodecideafterwardwhethershelaughedtillshecried，orcriedtillshelaughed.
　　"No，no，"shedemurredtremulously."Icouldn’t.Ireallyhaveneverintendedthat."
　　"Butwhynot？Whatareyougoingtodo？"questionedWilliaminavoicethatwasdazedandhurt.
　　ThefirstquestionBillyignored.Thesecondsheansweredwithapromptnessandagayetythatwasmeanttoturnthethoughtsawayfromthefirst.
　　"WearegoingtoBoston，AuntHannahandI.We’vegotroomsengagedforjustnow，butlaterwe’regoingtotakeahouseandlivetogether.That’swhatwe’regoingtodo."
　　CHAPTERXXII
　　HUGHCALDERWELL
　　IntheBeaconStreethouseWilliammournfullyremovedthehugepinkbowfromSpunkie’sneck，andBertramthrewawaytheroses.Cyrilmarchedup—stairswithhispileofnewmusicandhisbook;andPete，inobediencetoorders，hidtheworkbasket，theteatable，andthelowsewing—chair.Withagreatdisplayofa"gettingbackhome"air，Bertrammovedmanyofhisbelongingsupstairs——butinsideofaweekhehadmovedthemdownagain，sayingthat，afterall，hebelievedhelikedthefirstfloorbetter.Billy’sroomswereclosedthen，andremainedastheyhadforyears——silentanddeserted.
　　BillywithAuntHannahhadgonedirectlytotheirBackBayhotel.
　　"ThisisforjustwhileI’mhouse—hunting，"thegirlhadsaid.ButverysoonshehaddecidedtogotoHampdenFallsforthesummerandpostponeherhouse—buyinguntiltheautumn.Billywastwenty—onenow，andthereweremanymattersofbusinesstoarrangewithLawyerHarding，concerningherinheritance.ItwasnotuntilSeptember，therefore，whenBillyoncemorereturnedtoBoston，thattheHenshawbrothershadtheopportunityofrenewingtheiracquaintancewithWilliam’snamesake.
　　"Iwantahome，"BillysaidtoBertramandWilliamonthenightofherarrival.（Asbefore，Mrs.StetsonandBillyhadgonedirectlytoahotel.）"Iwantarealhomewithafurnacetoshake——ifI
　　wantto——andsomedirttodigin."
　　"Well，I’msurethatoughttobeeasytofind，"smiledBertram.
　　"Oh，butthatisn’tall，"supplementedBilly."Itmustbemostlyclosetsandpiazza.Atleast，thosearetheimportantthings."
　　"Well，youmightrunacrossasnagthere.Whydon’tyoubuild？"
　　Billygaveagestureofdissent.
　　"Tooslow.Iwantitnow."
　　Bertramlaughed.Hiseyesnarrowedquizzically.
　　"FromwhatCalderwellsays，"hebantered，"Ishouldjudgethatthereareplentyofsighingswainswhoareonlytooreadytogiveyouahome——andnow."
　　ThepinkdeepenedinBilly’scheeks.
　　"Isaidclosetsandapiazza，dirttodig，andafurnacetoshake，"
　　sheretortedmerrily."Ididn’tsayIwantedahusband."
　　"Andyoudon’t，ofcourse，"interposedWilliam，decidedly."Youaremuchtooyoungforthat."
　　"Yes，sir，"agreedBillydemurely;butBertramwassurehesawatwinkleunderthedowncastlashes.
　　"AndwhereisCyril？"askedMrs.Stetson，comingintotheroomatthatmoment.
　　Williamstirredrestlessly.
　　"Well，Cyrilcouldn’t——couldn’tcome，"stammeredWilliamwithanuneasyglanceathisbrother.
　　Billylaughedunexpectedly.
　　"It’stoobad——aboutMr.Cyril’snotcoming，"shemurmured.AndagainBertramcaughtthetwinkleinthedowncasteyes.
　　ToBertramthetwinklelookedinteresting，andworthpursuit;butattheverybeginningofthechaseCalderwell’scardcameup，andthatended——everything，soBertramdeclaredcrosslytohimself.
　　Billyfoundherdirttodigin，andherfurnacetoshake，inBrookline.Therewereclosets，too，andagenerousexpanseofveranda.TheyallbelongedtoaquaintlittlehouseperchedonthesideofCoreyHill.Fromtheverandaintherear，andfrommanyofthewindows，onelookedoutuponadelightfulviewofmany—hued，many—shapedroofsnestlingamongtoweringtrees，withthewidesweepoftheskyabove，andthehazeoffarawayhillsatthehorizon.
　　"Infact，it’sasnearlyperfectasitcanbe——andnottakeangel—
　　wingsandflyaway，"declaredBilly."Ihavenamedit’Hillside.’"
　　Veryearlyinhercareerashouse—owner，Billydecidedthathoweverdelightfulitmightbetohaveafurnacetoshake，itwouldnotbeatalldelightfultoshakeit;besides，therewasthenewmotorcartorun.Billythereforesoughtandfoundagood，strongmanwhohadnotonlythemuscleandthewillingnesstoshakethefurnace，buttheskilltoturnchauffeuratamoment’snotice.Bestofall，thismanhadalsoawifewho，withamaidtoassisther，wouldtakefullchargeofthehouse，andthusleaveBillyandMrs.Stetsonfreefromcare.Allthese，togetherwithacanary，andakittenasnearlikeSpunkascouldbeobtained，madeBilly’shousehold.