"AndnowI’mreadytoseemyfriends，"sheannounced.
　　"AndIthinkyourfriendswillbereadytoseeyou，"Bertramassuredher.
　　Andtheywere——atleast，soitappeared.ForatoncethelittlehouseperchedonthehillsidebecametheMeccaformanyoftheHenshaws’friendswhohadknownBillyasWilliam’smerry，eighteen—
　　year—oldnamesake.Therewereothers，too，whomBillyhadmetabroad;andthereweresoft—stepping，sweet—facedoldwomenandanoccasionalwhite—whiskeredoldman——AuntHannah’sfriends——whofoundthattheyoungmistressofHillsidewasacharminghostess.
　　TherewerealsotheHenshaw"boys，"andtherewasalwaysCalderwell——atleast，soBertramdeclaredtohimselfsometimes.
　　Bertramcamefrequentlytothelittlehouseonthehill，evenmorefrequentlythanWilliam;butCyrilwasnotseentheresooften.Hecameonceatfirst，itistrue，andfollowedBillyfromroomtoroomassheproudlydisplayedhernewhome.Heshowedpoliteinterestinherview，andaperfunctoryenjoymentoftheteashepreparedforhim.Buthedidnotcomeagainforsometime，andwhenhedidcome，hesatstifflysilent，whilehisbrothersdidmostofthetalking.
　　AstoCalderwell——Calderwellseemedsuddenlytohavelosthisinterestinimpenetrableforestsandunclimbablemountains.
　　NothingmoreintricatethanthelongBeaconStreetboulevard，ormoreinaccessiblethanCoreyHillseemedworthexploring，apparently.AccordingtoCalderwell’sownversionofit，hehad"settleddown";hewasgoingto"besomethingthatwassomething."
　　AndhedidspendsundryofhismorninghoursinaBostonlawofficewithponderous，calf—boundvolumesspreadinimposingarrayonthedeskbeforehim.Otherhours——manyhours——hespentwithBilly.
　　Oneday，verysoon，infact，aftershearrivedinBoston，BillyaskedCalderwellabouttheHenshaws.
　　"Tellmeaboutthem，"shesaid."Tellmewhattheyhavebeendoingalltheseyears."
　　"Tellyouaboutthem！Why，don’tyouknow？"
　　Sheshookherhead.
　　"No.Cyrilsaysnothing.Williamlittlemore——aboutthemselves;
　　andyouknowwhatBertramis.Onecanhardlyseparatesensefromnonsensewithhim."
　　"Youdon’tknow，then，howsplendidlyBertramhasdonewithhisart？"
　　"No;onlyfromthemostcasualhearsay.Hashedonewellthen？"
　　"Finely！Thepublichasbeenhisforyears，andnowthecriticsaretumblingovereachothertodohimhonor.Theyraveabouthis’sensitive，brilliant，nervoustouch，’——whateverthatmaybe;his’marvelouscolorsense’;his’beautyoflineandpose.’Andtheyquarreloverwhetherit’srealismoridealismthatconstituteshischarm."
　　"I’msoglad！Andisitstillthe’FaceofaGirl’？"
　　"Yes;onlyhe’sdoingstraightportraiturenowaswell.It’sgottobequitethethingtobe’done’byHenshaw;andthere’smanyafairladythathasgraciouslycommissionedhimtopaintherportrait.He’safinefellow，too——amightyfinefellow.Youmaynotknow，perhaps，butthreeorfouryearsagohewas——well，notwild，but’frolicsome，’hewouldprobablyhavecalledit.Hegotinwithalotoffellowsthat——well，thatweren’tgoodforachapofBertram’stemperament."
　　"Like——Mr.Seaver？"
　　Calderwellturnedsharply.
　　"DidYOUknowSeaver？"hedemandedinobvioussurprise.
　　"IusedtoSEEhim——withBertram."
　　"Oh！Well，heWASoneofthem，unfortunately.ButBertramshippedhimyearsago."
　　Billygaveasuddenradiantsmile——butshechangedthesubjectatonce.
　　"AndMr.Williamstillcollects，Isuppose，"sheobserved.
　　"Jove！Ishouldsayhedid！I’veforgottenthelatest;buthe’safinefellow，too，likeBertram."
　　"And——Mr.Cyril？"
　　Calderwellfrowned.
　　"Thatchap’saposerforme，Billy，andnomistake.Ican’tmakehimout！"
　　"What’sthematter？"
　　"Idon’tknow.ProbablyI’mnot’tunedtohispitch.’BertramtoldmeoncethatCyrilwasverysensitivelystrung，andneverrespondeduntilacertainnotewasstruck.Well，Ihaven’teverfoundthatnote，Ireckon."
　　Billylaughed.
　　"IneverheardBertramsaythat，butIthinkIknowwhathemeans;
　　andhe’sright，too.IbegintorealizenowwhatajanglingdiscordImusthavecreatedwhenItriedtoharmonizewithhimthreeyearsago！Butwhatishedoinginhismusic？"
　　Theothershruggedhisshoulders.
　　"Samething.Playsoccasionally，andplayswell，too;buthe’ssoerraticit’sdifficulttogethimtodoit.Everythingmustbejustso，youknow——air，light，piano，andaudience.He’sgotanotherbookout，I’mtold——aprofoundtreatiseonsomebody’ssomethingorother——musical，ofcourse."
　　"Andheusedtowritemusic;doesn’thedothatanymore？"
　　"Ibelieveso.Ihearofitoccasionallythroughmusicalfriendsofmine.Theyevenplayittomesometimes.ButIcan’tstandformuchofit——hisstuff——really，Billy."
　　"’Stuff’indeed！Andwhynot？"AnoddhostilityshowedinBilly’seyes.
　　AgainCalderwellshruggedhisshoulders.
　　"Don’taskme.Idon’tknow.Butthey’realwaysdeadslow，somberthings，withthewailofalostspiritshriekingthroughthem."
　　"ButIjustlovelostspiritsthatwail，"avowedBilly，withmorethanashadeofreproachinhervoice.
　　Calderwellstared;thenheshookhishead.
　　"Notinmine，thankyou;"heretortedwhimsically."Iprefermyspiritsofamoresaneandcheerfulsort."
　　Thegirllaughed，butalmostinstantlyshefellsilent.
　　"I’vebeenwondering，"shebeganmusingly，afteratime，"whysomeoneofthosethreemendoesnot——marry."
　　"Youwouldn’twonder——ifyouknewthembetter，"declaredCalderwell.
　　"Nowthink.Let’sbeginatthetopoftheStrata——bytheway，Bertram’snameforthatestablishmentismightyclever！First，Cyril：accordingtoBertramCyrilhates’allkindsofwomenandotherconfusion’;andIfancyBertramhitsitaboutright.SothatsettlesCyril.Thenthere’sWilliam——youknowWilliam.AnygirlwouldsayWilliamwasadear;butWilliamisn’taMARRYINGman.Dadsays，"——Calderwell’svoicesoftenedalittle——"dadsaysthatWilliamandhisyoungwifewerethemostdevotedcouplethatheeversaw;
　　andthatwhenshediedsheseemedtotakewithherthewholeofWilliam’sheart——thatis，whathadn’tgonewiththebabyafewyearsbefore.Therewasaboy，youknow，thatdied."
　　"Yes，Iknow，"noddedBilly，quicktearsinhereyes."AuntHannahtoldme."
　　"Well，thatcountsoutWilliam，then，"saidCalderwell，withanairoffinality.
　　"ButhowaboutBertram？Youhaven’tsettledBertram，"laughedBilly，archly.
　　"Bertram！"Calderwell’seyeswidened."Billy，canyouimagineBertram’smakingloveinrealearnesttoagirl？"
　　"Why，I——don’t——know;maybe！"Billytippedherheadfromsidetosideasifshewereviewingapicturesetupforherinspection.
　　"Well，Ican’t.Inthefirstplace，nogirlwouldthinkhewasserious;orifbyanychanceshedid，she’dsoondiscoverthatitwastheturnofherheadorthetiltofherchinthatheadmired——
　　TOPAINT.Nowisn’tthatso？"
　　Billylaughed，butshedidnotanswer.
　　"Itis，andyouknowit，"declaredCalderwell."Andthatsettleshim.Nowyoucansee，perhaps，whynoneofthesemen——willmarry."
　　ItwasalongminutebeforeBillyspoke.
　　"Notabitofit.Idon’tseeitatall，"shedeclaredwithroguishmerriment."Moreover，Ithinkthatsomeday，someoneofthem——willmarry，SirDoubtful！"
　　Calderwellthrewaquickglanceintohereyes.Evidentlysomethinghesawtheresentaswiftshadowtohisown.Hewaitedamoment，thenaskedabruptly：
　　"Billy，WON’Tyoumarryme？"
　　Billyfrowned，thoughhereyesstilllaughed.
　　"Hugh，Itoldyounottoaskmethatagain，"shedemurred.
　　"AndItoldyounottoaskimpossibilitiesofme，"heretortedimperturbably."Billy，won’tyou，now——seriously？"
　　"Seriously，no，Hugh.Pleasedon’tletusgoalloverthatagainwhenwe’vedoneitsomanytimes."
　　"No，let’sdon’t，"agreedtheman，cheerfully."Andwedon’thaveto，either，ifyou’llonlysay’yes，’nowrightaway，withoutanymorefuss."
　　Billysighedimpatiently.
　　"Hugh，won’tyouunderstandthatI’mserious？"shecried;thensheturnedsuddenly，withapeculiarflashinhereyes.
　　"Hugh，Idon’tbelieveBertramhimselfcouldmakeloveanymorenonsensicallythanyoucan！"
　　Calderwelllaughed，buthefrowned，too;andagainhethrewintoBilly’sfacethatkeenlyquestioningglance.Hesaidsomething——alightsomething——thatbroughtthelaughtoBilly’slipsinspiteofherself;buthewasstillfrowningwhenheleftthehousesomeminuteslater，andtheshadowwasnotgonefromhiseyes.
　　CHAPTERXXIII
　　BERTRAMDOESSOMEQUESTIONING
　　Billy’stimewaswelloccupied.Thereweresomany，manythingsshewishedtodo，andsofew，fewhoursinwhichtodothem.Firsttherewashermusic.ShemadearrangementsatoncetostudywithoneofBoston’sbestpianoteachers，andshealsomadeplanstocontinueherFrenchandGerman.Shejoinedamusicalclub，aliteraryclub，andamorestrictlysocialclub;andtonumerouschurchcharitiesandphilanthropicenterprisesshelentmorethanhername，givingfreelyofbothtimeandmoney.
　　Fridayafternoons，ofcourse，weretobeheldsacredtotheSymphonyconcerts;andoncertainWednesdaymorningstherewastobeaseriesofrecitals，inwhichshewasgreatlyinterested.
　　ForSocietywithacapitalS，Billycaredlittle;butforsociabilitywithasmalls，shecaredmuch;andverywidesheopenedherdoorstoherfriends，lavishinguponthemawealthofhospitality.Nordidtheyallcomeincarriagesorautomobiles——
　　thesefriends.Acertainpale—facedlittlewidowoverattheSouthEndknewjusthowgoodMissNeilson’steatastedonacrispOctoberafternoonandMarieHawthorn，afrailyoungwomanwhogavemusiclessons，knewjusthowrestfulwasMissNeilson’scouchafterawearydayoflongwalksandfretfulpupils.
　　"Buthowintheworlddoyoudiscoverthemall——theseforlornspecimensofhumanity？"queriedBertramoneevening，whenhehadfoundBillyentertainingafreckled—facedmessenger—boywithaplateoficecreamandabigsquareofcake.
　　"Anywhere——everywhere，"smiledBilly.
　　"Well，thislastcandidateforyourfavor，whohasjustgone——who’she？"
　　"Idon’tknow，beyondthathisnameis’Tom，’andthathelikesicecream."
　　"Andyouneversawhimbefore？"
　　"Never."
　　"Humph！Onewouldn’tthinkit，toseehischarmingairofnonchalantaccustomedness."
　　"Oh，butitdoesn’ttakemuchtomakealittlefellowlikethatfeelathome，"laughedBilly.
　　"Andareyouinthehabitoffeedingeveryonewhocomestoyourhouse，onicecreamandchocolatecake？Ithoughtthatstonedoorstepofyourswaslookingalittleworn."
　　"Notabitofit，"retortedBilly."ThislittlechapcamewithamessagejustasIwasfinishingdinner.Theicecreamwasparticularlygoodto—night，anditoccurredtomethathemightlikeataste;soIgaveittohim."
　　Bertramraisedhiseyebrowsquizzically.
　　"Verykind，ofcourse;but——whyicecream？"hequestioned."I
　　thoughtitwasroastbeefandboiledpotatoesthatwassupposedtobehandedouttogaunt—eyedhunger."
　　"Itis，"noddedBilly，"andthat’swhyIthinksometimesthey’dlikeicecreamandchocolatefrosting.Besides，togivesugarplumsonedoesn’thavetounwindyardsofredtape，orworryabout’pauperizingthepoor.’Togiveredflannelsandatonofcoal，onemustbeproperlycircumspectandconsultrecordsandcitymissionaries，ofcourse;andthat’swhyit’ssuchareliefsometimesjusttohandoverasimplelittlesugarplumandseethemsmile."
　　ForaminuteBertramwassilent，thenheaskedabruptly：
　　"Billy，whydidyouleavetheStrata？"
　　Billywastakenquitebysurprise.Apinkflushspreadtoherforehead，andhertonguestumbledatfirstoverherreply.
　　"Why，I——itseemed——you——why，IlefttogotoHampdenFalls，tobesure.Don’tyouremember？"shefinishedgaily.
　　"Oh，yes，IrememberTHAT，"concededBertramwithdisdainfulemphasis."ButwhydidyougotoHampdenFalls？"
　　"Why，it——itwastheonlyplacetogo——thatis，IWANTEDtogothere，"shecorrectedhastily."Didn’tAuntHannahtellyouthatI——Iwashomesicktogetbackthere？"
　　"Oh，yes，AuntHannahSAIDthat，"observedtheman;"butwasn’tthathomesicknessalittle——sudden？"
　　Billyblushedpinkagain.
　　"Why，maybe;but——well，homesicknessisalwaysmoreorlesssudden;
　　isn’tit？"sheparried.
　　Bertramlaughed，buthiseyesgrewsuddenlyalmosttender.
　　"Seehere，Billy，youcan’tbluffworthacent，"hedeclared."Youaremuchtoorefreshinglyfrankforthat.Somethingwasthetrouble.Nowwhatwasit？Won’tyoutellme，please？"
　　Billypouted.Shehesitatedandgazedanywherebutintothechallengingeyesbeforeher.Thenverysuddenlyshelookedstraightintothem.
　　"Verywell，thereWASareasonformyleaving，"sheconfessedalittlebreathlessly."I——didn’twantto——botheryouanymore——allofyou."
　　"Botherus！"
　　"No.Ifoundout.Youcouldn’tpaint;Mr.Cyrilcouldn’tplayorwrite;and——andeverythingwasdifferentbecauseIwasthere.ButIdidn’tblameyou——no，no！"sheassuredhimhastily."ItwasonlythatI——foundout."
　　"AndmayIaskHOWyouobtainedthismostextraordinaryinformation？"
　　demandedBertram，savagely.
　　Billyshookherhead.Herroundlittlechinlookedsuddenlysquareanddetermined.
　　"Youmayask，butIshallnottell，"shedeclaredfirmly.
　　IfBertramhadknownBillyjustalittlebetterhewouldhaveletthematterdropthere;buthedidnotknowBilly，soheasked：
　　"WasitanythingIdid——orsaid？"
　　Thegirldidnotanswer.
　　"Billy，wasit？"Bertram’svoiceshowedterrornow.
　　Billylaughedunexpectedly.
　　"DoyouthinkI’mgoingtosay’no’toaseriesofquestions，andthengivethewholethingawaybymysilencewhenyoucometotherightone？"shedemandedmerrily."No，sir！"
　　"Well，anyhow，itwasn’tI，then，"sighedthemaninrelief;"foryoujustobservedthatyouwerenotgoingtosay’notoaseriesofquestions’——andthatwasthefirstone.SoI’vefoundoutthatmuch，anyhow，"heconcludedtriumphantly.
　　Thegirleyedhimforamomentinsilence;thensheshookherhead.
　　"I’mnotgoingtobecaughtthatway，either，"shesmiled."Youknow——justwhatyoudidinthefirstplaceaboutit：nothing."
　　Themanstirredrestlesslyandpondered.Afteralongpauseheadoptednewtactics.Withasearchingstudyofherfacetonotetheslightestchange，heenumerated：
　　"WasitCyril，then？Will？AuntHannah？Kate？Itcouldn’thavebeenPete，orDongLing！"
　　Billystillsmiledinscrutably.AtnonamehadBertramdetectedsomuchastheflickerofaneyelid;andwithaglancehalf—admiring，half—chagrined，hefellbackintohischair.
　　"I’llgiveitup.You’vewon，"heacknowledged."But，Billy，"——
　　hismannerchangedsuddenly——"IwonderifyouknowjustwhataholeyouleftintheStratawhenyouwentaway."
　　"ButIcouldn’thave——inthewholeStrata，"objectedBilly."I
　　occupiedonlyonestratum，andastratumdoesn’tgoupanddown，youknow，onlyacross;andminewasthesecondfloor."
　　Bertramgaveaslowshakeofhishead.
　　"Iknow;butyourswasafreakformation，"hemaintainedgravely.
　　"ItDIDgoupanddown.Honestly，Billy，wedidcare——lots.WillandIwereinconsolable，andevenCyrilplayeddirgesforaweek."
　　"Didhe？"gurgledBilly，withsuddenjoyousness."I’msoglad！"
　　"Thankyou，"murmuredBertram，disapprovingly."Wehadn’tconsidereditasubjectforexultation."
　　"What？Oh，Ididn’tmeanthat！Thatis——"shestoppedhelplessly.
　　"Oh，nevermindabouttryingtoexplain，"interposedBertram."I
　　fancytheremedywouldbeworsethanthedisease，inthiscase."
　　"Nonsense！IonlymeantthatIliketobemissed——sometimes，"
　　retortedBilly，alittlenettled.
　　"Andyourejoicethentohavememope，Cyrilplaydirges，andWillwandermournfullyaboutthehousewithSpunkieinhisarms！YoushouldhaveseenWilliam.Ifhisforlornnessdidnotbringtearstoyoureyes，thegraceofthepinkbowthatloppedbehindSpunkie’sleftearwouldsurelyhavebroughtacopiousflow."
　　Billylaughed，buthereyesgrewtender.
　　"DidUncleWilliamdo——that？"sheasked.
　　"Hedid——andhedidmore.Petetoldmeafteratimethatyouhadnotleftonethinginthehouse，anywhere;butoneday，overbehindWilliam’smosttreasuredLowestoft，Ifoundasmallshellhairpin，andaflatbrownsilkbuttonthatIrecognizedascomingfromoneofyourdresses."
　　"Oh！"saidBilly，softly."DearUncleWilliam——andhowgoodhewastome！"
　　CHAPTERXXIV
　　CYRIL，THEENIGMA
　　PerhapsitwasbecauseBillysawsolittleofCyrilthatitwasCyrilwhomshewishedparticularlytosee.William，Bertram，Calderwell——allherotherfriendscamefrequentlytothelittlehouseonthehill，Billytoldherself;onlyCyrilheldaloof——anditwasCyrilthatshewanted.
　　Billysaidthatitwashismusic;thatshewantedtohearhimplay，andthatshewantedhimtohearher.Shefeltgrievedandchagrined.Notoncesinceshehadcomehadheseemedinterested——
　　reallyinterestedinhermusic.Hehadaskedher，itistrue，inaperfunctorywaywhatshehaddone，andwhoherteachershadbeen.
　　Butallthewhileshewasansweringshehadfeltthathewasnotlistening;thathedidnotcare.Andshecaredsomuch！Sheknewnowthatallherpractisingthroughthelonghardmonthsofstudy，hadbeenforCyril.Everyscalehadbeensmoothedforhisears，andeveryphrasehadbeeninterpretedwithhisapprobationinview.
　　Acrossthewidewasteofwatershisfacehadshonelikeastarofpromise，beckoningheronandontoheightsunknownAndnowshewashereinBoston，butshecouldnotevenplaythescale，norinterpretthephrasefortheeartowhichtheyhadbeensolaboriouslyattuned;andCyril’sface，intheflesh，wasnobeckoningstarofpromise，butwasathingascoldandrelentlessaswasthewasteofwatersacrosswhichithadshoneinthepast.
　　Billydidnotunderstandit.Sheknew，itistrue，ofCyril’sreputedaversiontowomeningeneralandtonoise;butshewasneitherwomeningeneralnornoise，shetoldherselfindignantly.
　　Shewasonlythelittlemaid，grownthreeyearsolder，whohadsatathisfeetandadoringlylistenedtoallthathehadbeenpleasedtosayintheolddaysatthetopoftheStrata.Andhehadbeenkindthen——verykind，Billydeclaredstoutly.Hehadbeenpatientandinterested，too，andhehadseemednotonlywilling，butgladtoteachher，whilenow——
　　SometimesBillythoughtshewouldaskhimcandidlywhatwasthematter.Butitwasalwaystheold，frankBillythatthoughtthis;
　　theimpulsiveBilly，thathadgoneuptoCyril’sroomsyearsbeforeandcheerfullyannouncedthatshehadcometogetacquainted.Itwasneverthesensible，circumspectBillythatAuntHannahhadforthreeyearsbeenshapingandcoaxingintobeing.ButeventhisBillyfrownedrebelliously，anddeclaredthatsometimesomethingshouldbesaidthatwouldatleastgivehimachancetoexplain.
　　InalltheweekssinceBilly’spurchaseofHillside，Cyrilhadbeenthereonlytwice，anditwasnearlyThanksgivingnow.Billyhadseenhimonceortwice，also，attheBeaconStreethouse，whensheandAuntHannahhaddinedthere;butonalltheseoccasionshehadbeeneitherthecoldlyreservedguestorthepainfullypunctilioushost.Neverhadhebeenintheleastapproachable.
　　"HetreatsmeexactlyashetreatedpoorlittleSpunkthatfirstnight，"Billydeclaredhotlytoherself.
　　OnlyoncesinceshecamehadBillyheardCyrilplay，andthatwaswhenshehadsharedtheprivilegewithhundredsofothersatapublicconcert.Shehadsatthenentranced，withhereyesontheclean—cuthandsomeprofileofthemanwhoplayedwithsosureaskillandpower，yetwithoutanotebeforehim.Afterwardshehadmethimfacetoface，andhadtriedtotellhimhowmovedshewas;
　　butinheragitation，andbecauseofastrangeshynessthathadsuddenlycometoher，shehadendedonlyinstammeringoutsomeflippantbanalitythathadbroughttohisfacemerelyaboredsmileofacknowledgment.
　　Twiceshehadaskedhimtoplayforher;buteachtimehehadbeggedtobeexcused，courteously，butdecidedly.
　　"It’snousetotease，"Bertramhadinterposedonce，withanairywaveofhishands."Thislionalwaysdidrefusetoroartoorder.
　　Ifyoureallymusthearhim，you’llhavetoslipup—stairsandcampoutsidehisdoor，waitingpatientlyforsuchcrumbsasmayfallfromhistable."
　　"Aren’tyourmetaphorsalittlemixed？"questionedCyrilirritably.
　　"Yes，sir，"acknowledgedBertramwithunruffledtemper."butI
　　don’tmindifBillydoesn’t.Ionlymeanthertounderstandthatshe’dhavetodoassheusedtodo——listenoutsideyourdoor."
　　Billy’scheeksreddened.
　　"ButthatiswhatIsha’n’tdo，"sheretortedwithspirit."And，moreover，Istillhavehopesthatsomedayhe’llplaytome."
　　"Maybe，"concededBertram，doubtfully;"ifthestoolandthepianoandthepedalsandtheweatherandhisfingersandyourearsandmywatcharealljustright——thenhe’llplay."
　　"Nonsense！"scowledCyril."I’llplay，ofcourse，someday.ButI’drathernottoday."Andtherethematterhadended.SincethenBillyhadnotaskedhimtoplay.
　　CHAPTERXXV
　　THEOLDROOM——ANDBILLY
　　ThanksgivingwastobeagreatdayintheHenshawfamily.TheHenshawbrothersweretoentertain.BillyandAuntHannahhadbeeninvitedtodinner;andsojoyouslyhospitablewasWilliam’sinvitationthatitwouldhaveincludedthenewkittenandthecanaryifBillywouldhaveconsentedtobringthem.
　　OncemorePetesweptandgarnishedthehouse，andoncemoreDongLingspoileduncountedsquaresofchocolatetryingtomakethebafflingfudge.BertramsaidthattheentireStratawasa—quiver.
　　NotbutthatBillyandAuntHannahhadvisitedtherebefore，butthatthiswasdifferent.Theyweretocomeatnoonthistime.
　　Thisvisitwasnottobeatantalizinglittlepieceofstiffnessanhourandahalflong.Itwastobeasatisfying，whole—souledmatterofhalfaday’scomradeship，almostlikeoldtimes.Sooncemoretherosesgracedtherooms，andaflaringpinkbowadornedSpunkie’sfatneck;andoncemoreBertramplacedhislatest"FaceofaGirl"inthebestpossiblelight.Therewasstilladifference，however，forthistimeCyrildidnotbringanymusicdowntothepiano，nordisplayanywhereacopyofhisnewestbook.
　　Thedinnerwastobeatthreeo’clock，butbyspecialinvitationtheguestsweretoarriveattwelve;andpromptlyattheappointedhourtheycame.
　　"There，thisissomethinglike，"exultedBertram，whentheladies，divestedoftheirwraps，toastedtheirfeetbeforetheopenfireinhisden.
　　"Indeeditis，fornowI’vetimetoseeeverything——everythingyou’vedonesinceI’vebeengone，"criedBilly，gazingeagerlyabouther.
　　"Hm—m;well，THATwasn’twhatImeant，"shruggedBertram.
　　"Ofcoursenot;butit’swhatImeant，"retortedBilly."Andthereareotherthings，too.Iexpecttherearehalfadozennew’OldBlues’andblackbasaltsthatIwanttosee;eh，UncleWilliam？"
　　shefinished，smilingintotheeyesofthemanwhohadbeengazingatherwithdotingprideforthelastfiveminutes.
　　"Ho！Willisn’tonteapotsnow，"quothBertram，beforehisbrotherhadachancetoreply."Youmightdangletheoldest’OldBlue’
　　thateverwasbeforehimnow，andhe’dpayscantattentionifhehappenedatthesametimetogethiseyesonsomeoldpewterchainwithagreenstoneinit."
　　Billylaughed;butatthelookofgenuinedistressthatcameintoWilliam’sface，shesoberedatonce.
　　"Don’tyoulethimteaseyou，UncleWilliam，"shesaidquickly.
　　"I’msurepewterchainswithgreenstonesinthemsoundjustawfullyinteresting，andIwanttoseethemrightawaynow.Come，"
　　shefinished，springingtoherfeet，"takemeup—stairs，please，andshowthemtome."
　　Williamshookhisheadandsaid，"No，no！"protestingthatwhathehadwerescarcelyworthherattention;butevenwhilehetalkedherosetohisfeetandadvancedhalfeagerly，halfreluctantly，towardthedoor.
　　"Nonsense，"saidBilly，fondly，asshelaidherhandonhisarm.
　　"Iknowtheyareverymuchworthseeing.Come！"Andsheledthewayfromtheroom."Oh，oh！"sheexclaimedafewmomentslater，asshestoodbeforeasmallcabinetinoneofWilliam’srooms."Oh，oh，howpretty！"
　　"Doyoulikethem？Ithoughtyouwould，"triumphedWilliam，quickjoydrivingawaytheanxiousfearinhiseyes."Yousee，I——I
　　thoughtofyouwhenIgotthem——everyoneofthem.Ithoughtyou’dlikethem.ButIhaven’tverymany，yet，ofcourse.Thisisthelatestone."Andhetenderlyliftedfromitsblackvelvetmatacurioussilvernecklacemadeofsmall，flat，chain—linkeddisks，heavilychased，andsetatregularintervalswithastrange，blue—
　　greenstone.
　　Billyhungaboveitenraptured.
　　"Oh，whatabeauty！Andthis，Isuppose，isBertram’s’pewterchain’！’Pewter，’indeed！"shescoffed."Tellme，UncleWilliam，wheredidyougetit？"
　　AnduncleWilliamtold，happily，thirstily，drinkinginBilly’sevidentinterestwithdelight.Therewere，too，aquaintly—setringandacat’s—eyebrooch;andtoeachbelongedastorywhichWilliamwasequallygladtotell.Therewereothertreasures，also：buckles，rings，brooches，andnecklaces，someofdullgold，someofequallydullsilver;butallofodddesignandcuriousworkmanship，studdedhereandtherewithbitsofred，green，yellow，blue，andflame—coloredstones.VerylearnedlythenfromWilliam’slipsfellthenewvocabularythathadcometohimwithhislatesttreasures：chrysoprase，carnelian，girasol，onyx，plasma，sardonyx，lapislazuli，tourmaline，chrysolite，hyacinth，andcarbuncle.
　　"Theyarelovely，perfectlylovely！"breathedBilly，whenthelastchainhadslippedthroughherfingersintoWilliam’shand."I
　　thinktheyaretheverynicestthingsyouevercollected."
　　"SodoI，"agreedtheman，emphatically."Andtheyare——different，too."
　　"Theyare，"saidBilly，"very——different."Butshewasnotlookingatthejewelry：hereyeswereonasmallshellhairpinandabrownsilkbuttonhalfhiddenbehindaLowestoftteapot.
　　Onthewaydown—stairsWilliamstoppedamomentatBilly’soldrooms.
　　"Iwishyouwereherenow，"hesaidwistfully."They’reallreadyforyou——theserooms."
　　"Oh，butwhydon’tyouusethem？——suchprettyrooms！"criedBilly，quickly.
　　Williamgaveagestureofdissent.
　　"Wehavenouseforthem;besides，theybelongtoyouandAuntHannah.Youleftyourimprintlongago，mydear——weshouldnotfeelathomeinthem."
　　"Oh，butyoushould！Youmustn’tfeellikethat！"objectedBilly，hurriedlycrossingtheroomtothewindowtohideasuddennervousnessthathadassailedher."Andhere’smypiano，too，andopen！"shefinishedgaily，droppingherselfuponthepianostoolanddashingintoabrilliantmazourka.
　　Billy，likeCyril，hadawayofworkingoffhermoodsatherfingertips;andto—daythetrippingnotesandcrashingchordstoldofanervousexcitementthatwasnotalljoy.FromthedoorwayWilliamwatchedherflyingfingerswithfondpride，anditwasveryreluctantlythatheaccededtoPete’srequesttogodown—stairsforamomenttosettleavexedquestionconcerningthetabledecorations.
　　Billy，leftalone，stillplayed，butwithadifference.Thetrippingnotesslowedintoaweirdmelodythatroseandfellandlostitselfintheexquisiteharmonythathadbeenbornofthecrashingchords.Billywasimprovisingnow，andintohermusichadcreptsomethingofherold—timelongingwhenshehadcometothathousealonely，orphangirl，insearchofahome.Onandonsheplayed;thenwithadiscordantnote，shesuddenlyrosefromthepiano.ShewasthinkingofKate，andwonderingif，hadKatenot"managed"thelittleroomwouldstillbehome.
　　SoswiftlydidBillycrosstothedoorthatthemanonthestairsoutsidehadnottimetogetquiteoutofsight.Billydidnotseehisface，however;shesawonlyapairofgray—trouseredlegsdisappearingaroundthecurveofthelandingabove.Shethoughtnothingofituntillaterwhendinnerwasannounced，andCyrilcamedown—stairs;thenshesawthathe，andheonly，thatafternoonworetrousersofthatparticularshadeofgray.
　　Thedinnerwasagreatsuccess.Eventhechocolatefudgeinthelittlecutglassbonbondisheswasperfect;anditwasaquestionwhetherPeteorDongLingtriedthehardertoplease.
　　Afterdinnerthefamilygatheredinthedrawing—roomandchattedpleasantly.Bertramdisplayedhisprettiestandnewestpictures，andBillyplayedandsung——bright，tunefullittlethingsthatsheknewAuntHannahandUncleWilliamliked.IfCyrilwaspleasedordispleased，hedidnotshowit——butBillyhadceasedtoplayforCyril’sears.Shetoldherselfthatshedidnotcare;butshedidwonder：wasthatCyrilonthestairs，andifso——whatwashedoingthere？
　　CHAPTERXXVI
　　"MUSICHATHCHARMS"
　　TwodaysafterThanksgivingCyrilcalledatHillside.
　　"I’vecometohearyouplay，"heannouncedabruptly.
　　Billy’sheartsungwithinher——buthertemperrose.Didhethinkthenthathehadbuttobeckonandshewouldcome——andatthislateday，sheaskedherself.Aloudshesaid：
　　"Play？Butthisis’sosudden’！Besides，youhaveheardme."
　　Themanmadeadisdainfulgesture.
　　"Notthat.Imeanplay——reallyplay.Billy，whyhaven’tyouplayedtomebefore？"
　　Billy’schinroseperceptibly.
　　"Whyhaven’tyouaskedme？"sheparried.
　　ToBilly’ssurprisethemanansweredthiswithcalmdirectness.
　　"BecauseCalderwellsaidthatyouwereadandyplayer，andIdon’tcarefordandyplayers."
　　Billylaughednow.
　　"AndhowdoyouknowI’mnotadandyplayer，SirImpertinent？"shedemanded.
　　"BecauseI’veheardyou——whenyouweren’t."
　　"Thankyou，"murmuredBilly.
　　Cyrilshruggedhisshoulders.
　　"Oh，youknowverywellwhatImean，"hedefended."I’veheardyou;that’sall."
　　"When？"
　　"Thatdoesn’tsignify."
　　Billywassilentforamoment，hereyesgravelystudyinghisface.
　　Thensheasked：
　　"Wereyoulong——onthatstairway？"
　　"Eh？What？Oh！"Cyril’sforeheadgrewsuddenlypink."Well？"hefinishedalittleaggressively.
　　"Oh，nothing，"smiledthegirl."Ofcoursepeoplewholiveinglasshousesmustnotthrowstones."
　　"Verywellthen，Ididlisten，"acknowledgedtheman，testily."I
　　likedwhatyouwereplaying.Ihoped，down—stairslater，thatyou’dplayitagain;butyoudidn’t.Icameto—daytohearit."
　　AgainBilly’sheartsungwithinher——butagainhertemperrose，too.
　　"Idon’tthinkIfeellikeit，"shesaidsweetly，withashakeofherhead."Notto—day."
　　ForabriefmomentCyrilstaredfrowningly;thenhisfacelightedwithhisraresmile.
　　"I’mfairlycheckmated，"hesaid，risingtohisfeetandgoingstraighttothepiano.
　　Forlongminutesheplayed，modulatingfromoneenchantingcompositiontoanother，andfinishingwiththeone"allchordswithbigbassnotes"thatmarchedonandon——theoneBillyhadsatlongagoonthestairstohear.
　　"There！Nowwillyouplayforme？"heasked，risingtohisfeet，andturningreproachfuleyesuponher.
　　Billy，too，rosetoherfeet.Herfacewasflushedandhereyeswereshining.Herlipsquiveredwithemotion.Aswasalwaysthecase，Cyril’smusichadcarriedherquiteoutofherself.
　　"Oh，thankyou，thankyou，"shesighed."Youdon’tknow——youcan’tknowhowbeautifulitallis——tome！"
　　"Thankyou.Thensurelynowyou’llplaytome，"hereturned.
　　AlookofrealdistresscametoBilly’sface.
　　"ButIcan’t——notwhatyouheardtheotherday，"shecriedremorsefully."Yousee，Iwas——onlyimprovising."
　　Cyrilturnedquickly.
　　"Onlyimprovising！Billy，didyoueverwriteitdown——anyofyourimprovising？"
　　AnembarrassedredflewtoBilly’sface.
　　"Not——notthatamountedto——well，thatis，some——alittle，"shestammered.
　　"Letmeseeit."
　　"No，no，Icouldn’t——notYOU！"
　　AgaintheraresmilelightedCyril’seyes.
　　"Billy，letmeseethatpaper——please."
　　Veryslowlythegirlturnedtowardthemusiccabinet.Shehesitated，glancedoncemoreappealinglyintoCyril’sface，thenwithnervoushasteopenedthelittlemahoganydoorandtookfromoneoftheshelvesasheetofmanuscriptmusic.But，likeashychildwithherfirstcopybook，sheheldithalfbehindherbackasshecametowardthepiano.
　　"Thankyou，"saidCyrilashereachedfaroutforthemusic.Thenextmomentheseatedhimselfagainatthepiano.
　　Twiceheplayedthelittlesongthroughcarefully，slowly.
　　"Now，singit，"hedirected.
　　Falteringly，inaveryfaintvoice，andwithverymanybreathstakenwheretheyshouldnothavebeentaken，Billyobeyed.
　　"Whenwewanttoshowoffyoursong，Billy，wewon’taskyoutosingit，"observedtheman，dryly，whenshehadfinished.
　　Billylaughedanddimpledintoablush.
　　"WhenIwanttoshowoffmysongIsha’n’tbesingingittoyouforthefirsttime，"shepouted.
　　Cyrildidnotanswer.Hewasplayingoverandovercertainharmoniesinthemusicbeforehim.
　　"Hm—m;Iseeyou’vestudiedyourcounterpointtosomepurpose，"hevouchsafed，finally;then："Wheredidyougetthewords？"
　　Thegirlhesitated.Theflushhaddeepenedonherface.
　　"Well，I——"shestoppedandgaveanembarrassedlaugh."I’mlikethesmallboywhomadethetoys.’Igotthemalloutofmyownhead，andthere’swoodenoughtomakeanother.’"
　　"Hm—m;indeed！"gruntedtheman."Well，haveyoumadeanyothers？"
　　"One——ortwo，maybe."
　　"Letmeseethem，please."
　　"Ithink——we’vehadenough——fortoday，"shefaltered.
　　"Ihaven’t.Besides，ifIcouldhaveacouplemoretogowiththis，itwouldmakeaveryprettylittlegroupofsongs."
　　"’Togowiththis’！Whatdoyoumean？"
　　"Tothepublishers，ofcourse."
　　"ThePUBLISHERS！"
　　"Certainly.Didyouthinkyouweregoingtokeepthesesongstoyourself？"
　　"Buttheyaren’tworthit！Theycan’tbe——goodenough！"
　　UnbelievingjoywasinBilly’svoice.
　　"No？Well，we’llletothersdecidethat，"observedCyril，withashrug."Allis，ifyou’vegotanymorewood——likethis——Iadviseyoutomakeituprightaway."
　　"ButIhavealready！"criedthegirl，excitedly."TherearelotsoflittlethingsthatI’ve——thatis，thereare——some，"shecorrectedhastily，atthelookthatsprangintoCyril’seyes.
　　"Oh，thereare，"laughedCyril."Well，we’llseewhat——"Buthedidnotsee.Hedidnotevenfinishhissentence;forBilly’smaid，Rosa，appearedjustthenwithacard.
　　"ShowMr.Calderwellinhere，"saidBilly.Cyrilsaidnothing——
　　aloud;whichwaswell.Histhoughts，justthen，werebetterleftunspoken.
　　CHAPTERXXVII
　　MARIE，WHOLONGSTOMAKEPUDDINGS
　　WonderfuldayscamethentoBilly.Foursongs，itseemed，hadbeenpronouncedbycompetentcriticsdecidedly"worthit"——unmistakably"goodenough";andtheyweretobebroughtoutassoonaspossible.
　　"Ofcourseyouunderstand，"explainedCyril，"thatthere’sno’hit’
　　expected.Thankheaventheyaren’tthatsort！Andthere’snogreatmoneyinit，either.You’dhavetowriteamasterpiecelike’She’smyJu—JuBaby’orsomesuchgemtogetthe’hit’andthemoney.Butthesongsarefine，andthey’lltakewithculturedhearers.We’llgetthemintroducedbygoodsingers，ofcourse，andthey’llbefavoritessoonfortheconcertstage，andforparlors."
　　BillysawagooddealofCyrilnow.Alreadyshewasatworkrewritingandpolishingsomeofherhalf—completedmelodies，andCyrilwashelpingher，byhisinterestaswellasbyhiscriticism.
　　Hewas，infact，atthehouseveryfrequently——toofrequently，indeed，tosuiteitherBertramorCalderwell.EvenWilliamfrownedsometimeswhenhiscozychatswithBillywereinterruptedbyCyril’sappearingwitharollofnewmusicforherto"try";thoughWilliamtoldhimselfthatheoughttobethankfuliftherewasanythingthatcouldmakeCyrilmorecompanionable，lessreservedandmorose.AndCyrilWASdifferent——therewasnodisputingthat.
　　Calderwellsaidthathehadcome"outofhisshell";andBertramtoldBillythatshemusthave"foundhisnoteandstruckitgoodandhard."
　　Billywasveryhappy.Tothelittlemusicteacher，MarieHawthorn，shetalkedmorefreely，perhaps，thanshedidtoanyoneelse.
　　"It’ssowonderful，Marie——sowonderfullywonderful，"shesaidoneday，"tosithereinmyownroomandsingalittlesongthatcomesfromsomewhere，anywhere，outoftheskyitself.Thenbyandby，thatlittlesongwillflyaway，away，overlandandsea;andsomedayitwilltouchsomebody’sheartjustasithastouchedmine.
　　Oh，Marie，isitnotwonderful？"
　　"Itis，dear——anditisnot.Yoursongscouldnothelpreachingsomebody’sheart.There’snothingwonderfulinthat."
　　"Sweetflatterer！"
　　"ButImeanit.Theyarebeautiful;andsois——Mr.Henshaw’smusic."
　　"Yes，itis，"murmuredBilly，abstractedly.
　　Therewasalongpause，thenMarieaskedwithshyhesitation：
　　"Doyouthink，MissBilly——thathewouldcare？Ilistenedyesterdaywhenhewasplayingtoyou.Iwasuphereinyourroom，butwhenIheardthemusicI——Iwentout，onthestairsandsatdown.Wasitvery——badofme？"
　　Billylaughedhappily.
　　"Ifitwas，hecan’tsayanything，"shereassuredher."He’sdonethesamethinghimself——andsohaveI."
　　"HEhasdoneit！"
　　"Yes.ItwasathishomelastThanksgiving.Itwasthenthathefoundout——aboutmyimprovising."
　　"Oh—h！"Marie’seyeswerewistful."Andhecaressomuchnowforyourmusic！"
　　"Doeshe？Doyouthinkhedoes？"demandedBilly.
　　"Iknowhedoes——andfortheonewhomakesit，too."
　　"Nonsense！"laughedBilly，withpinkercheeks."It’sthemusic，notthemusician，thatpleaseshim.Mr.Cyrildoesn’tlikewomen."
　　"Hedoesn’tlikewomen！"
　　"No.Butdon’tlooksoshocked，mydear.EveryonewhoknowsMr.
　　Cyrilknowsthat."
　　"ButIdon’tthink——Ibelieveit，"demurredMarie，gazingstraightintoBilly’seyes."I’msureIdon’tbelieveit."
　　Underthelittlemusicteacher’ssteadygazeBillyflushedagain.
　　Thelaughshegavewasanembarrassedone，butthroughitvibratedapleasedring.
　　"Nonsense！"sheexclaimed，springingtoherfeetandmovingrestlesslyabouttheroom.WiththenextbreathshehadchangedthesubjecttoonefarremovedfromMr.Cyrilandhislikesanddislikes.
　　SometimelaterBillyplayed，anditwasthenthatMariedrewalongsigh.
　　"Howbeautifulitmustbetoplay——likethat，"shebreathed.
　　"Asifyou，amusicteacher，couldnotplay！"laughedBilly.
　　"Notlikethat，dear.Youknowitisnotlikethat."
　　Billyfrowned.
　　"Butyouaresoaccurate，Marie，andyoucanreadatsightsorapidly！"
　　"Oh，yes，likealittlemachine，Iknow！"scornedtheusuallygentleMarie，bitterly."Don’ttheyhaveathingofmetalthataddsfigureslikemagic？Well，I’mlikethat.IseegandIplayg;IseedandIplayd;IseefandIplayf;andafterI’veseenenoughg’sandd’sandf’sandplayedthemall，thethingisdone.
　　I’veplayed."
　　"Why，Marie！Marie，mydear！"Thesecondexclamationwasverytender，forMariewascrying.
　　"There！IknewIshouldsomedayhaveitout——allout，"sobbedMarie."Ifeltitcoming."
　　"Thenperhapsyou’ll——you’llfeelbetternow，"stammeredBilly.
　　Shetriedtosaymore——otherwordsthatwouldhavebeenarealcomfort;buthertonguerefusedtospeakthem.Sheknewsowell，sowoefullywell，howverywoodenandmechanicalthelittlemusicteacher’splayingalwayshadbeen.ButthatMarieshouldrealizeitherselflikethis——thetragedyofitmadeBilly’sheartache.
　　AtMarie’snextwords，however，Billycaughtherbreathinsurprise.
　　"Butyouseeitwasn’tmusic——itwasn’tevermusicthatIwanted——
　　todo，"sheconfessed.
　　"Itwasn’tmusic！Butwhat——Idon’tunderstand，"murmuredBilly.
　　"No，Isupposenot，"sighedtheother."Youplaysobeautifullyyourself."
　　"ButIthoughtyoulovedmusic."
　　"Ido.Iloveitdearly——inothers.ButIcan’t——Idon’twanttomakeitmyself."
　　"Butwhatdoyouwanttodo？"
　　Marielaughedsuddenly.
　　"Doyouknow，mydear，IhavehalfamindtotellyouwhatIdoliketodo——justtomakeyoustare."
　　"Well？"Billy’seyeswerewidewithinterest.
　　"Ilikebestofanythingto——darnstockingsandmakepuddings."
　　"Marie！"
　　"Rankheresy，isn’tit？"smiledMarie，tearfully."ButIdo，truly.Ilovetoweavethethreadsevenlyinandout，andseeabigholeclose.AsforthepuddingsIdon’tmeanthecommonbread—
　　and—butterkind，buttheonesthathavewhitesofeggsandfruit，andprettyquiveryjelliesallrubyandamberlights，youknow."
　　"Youdearlittlepieceofdomesticity，"laughedBilly."Thenwhyintheworlddon’tyoudothesethings？"
　　"Ican’t，inmyownkitchen;Ican’taffordakitchentodothemin.AndIjustcouldn’tdothem——rightalong——inotherpeople’skitchens."
　　"Butwhydoyou——play？"
　　"Iwasbroughtuptoit.Youknowwehadmoneyonce，lotsofit，"
　　sighedMarie，asifsheweredeploringamisfortune."Andmotherwasdeterminedtohavememusical.Eventhen，asalittletot，I
　　likedpudding—making，andaftermymud—piedaysIwasalwaysbeggingmothertoletmegodownintothekitchen，tocook.Butshewouldn’tallowit，ever.Sheengagedthemostexpensivemastersandsetmepractising，alwayspractising.Isimplyhadtolearnmusic;andIlearneditliketheaddingmachine.Thenafterward，whenfatherdied，andthenmother，andthemoneyflewaway，why，ofcourseIhadtodosomething，sonaturallyIturnedtothemusic.ItwasallIcoulddo.But——well，youknowhowitis，dear.Iteach，andteachwell，perhaps，sofarasthemechanicalpartgoes;butasfortherest——Iamalwayslongingforacozycornerwithabasketofstockingstomend，orakitchenwherethereisapuddingwaitingtobemade."
　　"Youpoordear！"criedBilly."I’veapairofstockingsnowthatneedsattention，andI’vebeenjustlongingforoneofyour’quiveryjelliesallrubyandamberlights’eversinceyoumentionedthem.But——well，isthereanythingIcoulddotohelp？"
　　"Nothing，thankyou，"sighedMarie，risingwearilytoherfeet，andcoveringhereyeswithherhandforamoment."Myheadachesshockingly，butI’vegottogothisminuteandinstructlittleJennieKnowlshowtoplaythewonderfulscaleofGwithablackkeyinit.Besides，youdohelpme，youhavehelpedme，youarealwayshelpingme，dear，"sheaddedremorsefully;"andit’swickedofmetomakethatshadowcometoyoureyes.Pleasedon’tthinkofit，orofme，anymore."Andwithachokinglittlesobshehurriedfromtheroom，followedbytheamazed，questioning，sorrowfuleyesofBilly.
　　CHAPTERXXVIII
　　"I’MGOINGTOWIN"
　　NearlyallofBilly’sfriendsknewthatBertramHenshawwasinlovewithBillyNeilsonbeforeBillyherselfknewit.Notthattheyregardeditasanythingserious——"it’sonlyBertram"wasstillsaidofhimonalmostalloccasions.ButtoBertramhimselfitwasveryserious.
　　TheworldtoBertram，indeed，hadcometoassumeavastlydifferentaspectfromwhatithaddisplayedintimespast.Heretoforeithadbeenaplaythingwhichlikeajuggler’stinselballmightbetossedfromhandtohandatwill.Nowitwasnoplaything——noglitteringbauble.Itwassomethingbigandseriousandsplendid——becauseBillylivedinit;somethingthatdemandedallhispowerstodo，andbe——becauseBillywaswatching;somethingthatmightbeaHadesoftormentoranElysiumofbliss——accordingtowhetherBillysaid"no"or"yes."
　　SinceThanksgivingBertramhadknownthatitwaslove——thisconsumingfirewithinhim;andsinceThanksgivinghehadknown，too，thatitwasjealousy——thisfiercehatredofCalderwell.Hewasashamedofthehatred.Hetoldhimselfthatitwasunmanly，unkind，andunreasonable;andhevowedthathewouldovercomeit.
　　Attimesheevenfanciedthathehadovercomeit;butalwaysthesightofCalderwellinBilly’slittledrawing—roomorofeventheman’scardonBilly’ssilvertraywasenoughtoshowhimthathehadnot.
　　Therewereothers，too，whoannoyedBertramnotalittle，foremostofthesebeinghisownbrothers.StillhewasnotreallyworriedaboutWilliamandCyril，hetoldhimself.Williamhedidnotconsidertobeamarryingman;andCyril——everyoneknewthatCyrilwasawoman—hater.HewasdoubtlessattractednowonlybyBilly’smusic.TherewasnorealrivalrytobefearedfromWilliamandCyril.ButtherewasalwaysCalderwell，andCalderwellwasserious.Bertramdecided，therefore，aftersomeweeksoffeverishunrest，thattheonlyroadtopeacelaythroughafrankavowalofhisfeelings，andadirectappealtoBillytogivehimthegreatboonofherlove.
　　Justhere，however，Bertrammetwithanunexpecteddifficulty.Hecouldnotfindwordswithwhichtomakehisavowalortopresenthisappeal.Hewassurprisedandannoyed.Neverbeforehadhebeenatalossforwords——merewords.Anditwasnotthathelackedopportunity.Hewalked，drove，andtalkedwithBilly，andalwaysshewascompanionable，attentivetowhathehadtosay.
　　Neverwasshecoldorreserved.Neverdidshefailtogreethimwithacheerysmile.
　　Bertramconcluded，indeed，afteratime，thatshewastoocompanionable，toocheery.Hewishedshewouldhesitate，stammer，blush;bealittleshy.Hewishedthatshewoulddisplaysurprise，annoyance，even——anythingbutthateternalairofcomradeship.Andthen，oneafternoonintheearlytwilightofaJanuaryday，hefreedhismind，quiteunexpectedly.
　　"Billy，IwishyouWOULDN’Tbeso——sofriendly！"heexclaimedinavoicethatwasalmostsharp.
　　Billylaughedatfirst，butthenextmomentashameddistressdrovethemerrimentquiteoutofherface.
　　"YoumeanthatIpresumeon——onourfriendship？"shestammered.
　　"ThatyoufearthatIwillagain——shadowyourfootsteps？"ItwasthefirsttimesincethememorablenightitselfthatBillyhadeverinBertram’spresencereferredtoheryoungguardianshipofhiswelfare.Sherealizednow，suddenly，thatshehadjustbeengivingthemanbeforehersomevery"sisterlyadvice，"andthethoughtsentaconfusedredtohercheeks.
　　Bertramturnedquickly.
　　"Billy，thatwasthedearestandloveliestthingagirleverdid——
　　onlyIwastoogreatachumptoappreciateit！"finishedBertraminavoicethatwasnotquitesteady.
　　"Thankyou，"smiledthegirl，withaslowshakeofherheadandarelievedlookinhereyes;"butI’mafraidIcan’tquiteagreetothat."Thenextmomentshehaddemandedmischievously："Why，then，pray，thisunflatteringobjectiontomy——friendlinessnow？"
　　"BecauseIdon’twantyouforafriend，orasister，oranythingelsethat’srelated，"stormedBertram，withsuddenvehemence."I
　　don’twantyouforanythingbut——awife！Billy，WON’Tyoumarryme？"
　　AgainBillylaughed——laugheduntilshesawthepainedangerleaptothegrayeyesbeforeher;thenshebecamegraveatonce.
　　"Bertram，forgiveme.Ididn’tthinkyoucould——youcan’tbe——
　　serious！"
　　"ButIam."
　　Billyshookherhead.
　　"Butyoudon’tloveme——notME，Bertram.It’sonlytheturnofmyheador——orthetiltofmychinthatyoulove——topaint，"sheprotested，unconsciouslyechoingthewordsCalderwellhadsaidtoherweeksbefore."I’monlyanother’FaceofaGirl.’"
　　"You’retheonly’Faceofagirl’tomenow，Billy，"declaredtheman，withdisarmingtenderness.
　　"No，no，notthat，"demurredBilly，indistress."Youdon’tmeanit.Youonlythinkyoudo.Itcouldn’tbethat.Itcan’tbe！"
　　"Butitis，dear.IthinkIhavelovedyoueversincethatnightlongagowhenIsawyourdear，startledfaceappealingtomefrombeyondSeaver’shatefulsmile.And，Billy，IneverwentoncewithSeaveragain——anywhere.Didyouknowthat？"
　　"No;but——I’mglad——soglad！"
　　"AndI’mglad，too.Soyousee，Imusthavelovedyouthen，thoughunconsciously，perhaps;andIloveyounow."
　　"No，no，pleasedon’tsaythat.Itcan’tbe——itreallycan’tbe.
　　I——Idon’tloveyou——thatway，Bertram."
　　Themanpaledalittle.
　　"Billy——forgivemeforasking，butit’ssomuchtome——isitthatthereis——someoneelse？"Hisvoiceshook.
　　"No，no，indeed！Thereisnoone."
　　"It’snot——Calderwell？"
　　Billy’sforeheadgrewpink.Shelaughednervous1y.
　　"No，no，never！"
　　"Butthereareothers，somanyothers！"
　　"Nonsense，Bertram;there’snoone——noone，Iassureyou！"
　　"It’snotWilliam，ofcourse，norCyril.Cyrilhateswomen."
　　AdeeperflushcametoBilly’sface.Herchinrosealittle;andanodddefianceflashedfromhereyes.Butalmostinstantlyitwasgone，andaslowsmilehadcometoherlips.
　　"Yes，Iknow.Everyone——saysthatCyrilhateswomen，"sheobserveddemurely.
　　"Then，Billy，Isha’n’tgiveup！"vowedBertram，softly."SometimeyouWILLloveme！"
　　"No，no，Icouldn’t.Thatis，I’mnotgoingto——tomarry，"
　　stammeredBilly.
　　"Notgoingtomarry！"
　　"No.There’smymusic——youknowhowIlovethat，andhowmuchitistome.Idon’tthinkthere’lleverbeaman——thatI’lllovebetter."
　　Bertramliftedhishead.Veryslowlyherosetillhissplendidsixfeetofclean—limbedstrengthandmanlybeautytoweredawayabovethelowchairinwhichBillysat.Hismouthshowednewlinesaboutthecorners，andhiseyeslookeddownverytenderlyatthegirlbesidehim;buthisvoice，whenhespoke，hadalightwhimsicalitythatdeceivedevenBilly’sears.
　　"Andsoit’smusic——acold，senselessthingofspiderymarksoncleanwhitepaper——thatismyonlyrival，"hecried."ThenI’llwarnyou，Billy，I’llwarnyou.I’mgoingtowin！"Andwiththathewasgone.
　　CHAPTERXXIX
　　"I’MNOTGOINGTOMARRY"
　　BillydidnotknowwhethertobemoreamazedoramusedatBertram’sproposalofmarriage.Shewasvexed;shewasverysureofthat.
　　TomarryBertram？Absurd！Thenshereflectedthat，afterall，itwasonlyBertram，soshecalmedherself.
　　Still，itwasannoying.ShelikedBertram，shehadalwayslikedhim.Hewasaniceboy，andamostcongenialcompanion.Heneverboredher，asdidsomeothers;andhewasalwaysthoughtfulofcushionsandfootstoolsandcupsofteawhenonewastired.Hewas，infact，anidealfriend，justthesortshewanted;anditwassuchapitythathemustspoilitallnowwiththissillysentimentality！Andofcoursehehadspoileditall.Therewasnogoingbacknowtotheiroldfriendliness.Hewouldbemoroseorsillybyturns，accordingtowhethershefrownedorsmiled;orelsehewouldtakehimselfoffinatragicsortofwaythatwasverydisturbing.Hehadsaid，tobesure，thathewould"win."Win，indeed！AsifshecouldmarryBertram！Whenshemarried，herchoicewouldfalluponaman，notaboy;abig，grave，earnestmantowhomtheworldmeantsomething;amanwholovedmusic，ofcourse;amanwhowouldsingleheroutfromalltheworld，andshowtoher，andtoheronly，thedepthandtendernessofhislove;amanwho——butshewasnotgoingtomarry，anyway，rememberedBilly，suddenly.Andwiththatshebegantocry.Thewholethingwasso"tiresome，"shedeclared，andso"absurd."
　　BillyratherdreadedhernextmeetingwithBertram.Shefeared——
　　sheknewnotwhat.But，asitturnedout，sheneednothavefearedanything，forhemethertranquilly，cheerfully，asusual;andhedidnothingandsaidnothingthathemightnothavedoneandsaidbeforethattwilightchattookplace.