第4章

And，withasmilethatwasmeanttobequizzical，Williamturnedandbegantoshifttheteapotsaboutagain。

But，Mr。William，why——thatis，whatwillMr。BertramandMissBillydo——withoutyou？’

venturedtheoldman。

Therewasasuddentinklingcrash。Onthefloorlaythefragmentsofasilver-lusterteapot。

Theservantexclaimedaloudindismay，buthismasterdidnotevenglancetowardhisoncetreasuredpossessiononthefloor。

Nonsense，Pete!’hewassayinginaparticularlycheeryvoice。Haveyoulivedalltheseyearsandnotfoundoutthatnewly-marriedfolksdon’t_need_anyoneelsearound？Come，doyousupposewecouldbegintopacktheseteapotsto-night？’headded，alittlefeverishly。

Aren’ttheresomeboxesdowncellar？’

I’llsee，sir，’saidPete，respectfully；buttheexpressiononhisfaceasheturnedawayshowedthathewasnotthinkingofteapots——norofboxesinwhichtopackthem。

Mr。andMrs。BertramHenshawwereexpectedhomethefirstofSeptember。Bythethirty-firstofAugusttheoldBeaconStreethomesteadfacingthePublicGardenwasinspick-and-spanorder，withDongLinginthebasementhoveringoverawell-stockedlarder，andPetesearchingtherestofthehouseforachairawry，orabitofdustundiscovered。

TwicebeforehadtheStrata——asBertramlongagodubbedthehomeofhisboyhood——

beenpreparedforthecomingofBilly，William’snamesake：once，whenithadbeendecoratedwithgunsandfishing-rodstowelcometheboy’

whoturnedouttobeagirl；andagainwhenwithpinkrosesandsewing-basketsthethreebrothersgotjoyouslyreadyforafeminineBillywhodidnotevencomeatall。

Thehousehadbeenverydifferentthen。Ithadbeen，indeed，astrata，’withitsdistinctivelayersoffadsandpursuitsasrepresentedbyBertramandhispaintingononefloor，Williamandhiscuriosonanother，andCyrilwithhismusiconathird。Cyrilwasgonenow。OnlyPeteandhishumblebelongingsoccupiedthetopfloor。Thefloorbelow，too，wassilentnow，andalmostemptysaveforarugortwo，andafewpiecesofheavyfurniturethatWilliamhadnotcaredtotakewithhimtohisnewquartersontopofBeaconHill。Belowthis，however，cameBilly’soldrooms，andonthesePetehadlavishedallhisskillanddevotion。

Freshlylaunderedcurtainswereatthewindows，dustlessrugswereonthefloor。Theoldwork-baskethadbeenbroughtdownfromthetop-floorstoreroom，andthelong-closedpianostoodinvitinglyopen。Inaconspicuousplace，also，satthelittlegreengod，uponwhoseexquisitelycarvedshoulderswassupposedtoresttheheapplentyvellygoodluckee’ofDongLing’sprophecy。

OnthefirstfloorBertram’soldroomsandthedrawing-roomcameinfortheirshareofthegeneraloverhauling。EvenSpunkiedidnotescape，buthadtosubmittotheignominyofabath。AndthendawnedfairandclearthefirstdayofSeptember，bringingatfiveo’clockthebrideandgroom。

RespectfullylinedupinthehalltomeetthemwerePeteandDongLing：Petewithhiswrinkledoldfacealightwithjoyandexcitement；DongLinggrinningandkotowing，andchantinginahigh-pitchedtreble：

MissBillee，MissBillee——plentymuchwelcome，MissBillee!’

Yes，welcomehome，Mrs。_Henshaw!_’bowedBertram，turningatthedoor，withanelaborateflourishthatdidnotintheleasthidehistenderprideinhisnewwife。

Billylaughedandcoloredaprettypink。

Thankyou——allofyou，’shecriedalittleunsteadily。Andhowgood，goodeverythingdoeslooktome!Why，where’sUncleWilliam？’

shebrokeoff，castinghurriedlyanxiouseyesabouther。

Well，Ishouldsayso，’echoedBertram。

Whereishe，Pete？Heisn’tsick，ishe？’

Aquickchangecrossedtheoldservant’sface。

Heshookhisheaddumbly。

Billygaveagleefullaugh。

Iknow——he’sasleep!’shecaroled，skippingtothebottomofthestairwayandlookingupHo，UncleWilliam!Betterwakeup，sir。Thefolkshavecome!’

Peteclearedhisthroat。

Mr。Williamisn’there，Miss——ma’am，’hecorrectedmiserably。

Billysmiled，butshefrowned，too。

Nothere!Well，Ilikethat，’shepouted；——

andwhenI’vebroughthimthemostbeautifulpairofmirrorknobsheeversaw，andallthewayinmybag，too，soIcouldgivethemtohimtheveryfirstthing，’sheadded，dartingovertothesmallbagshehadbroughtinwithher。I’mgladIdid，too，forourtrunksdidn’tcome，’shecontinuedlaughingly。Still，ifheisn’theretoreceivethem——There，Pete，aren’ttheybeautiful？’

shecried，carefullytakingfromtheirwrappingstwoexquisitelydecoratedporcelaindiscsmountedontwolongspikes。They’reBatterseas——

therealarticle。Iknowenoughforthat；andthey’refinerthananythinghe’sgot。

Won’thebepleased？’

Yes，Miss——ma’am，Imean，’stammeredtheoldman。

Thesenewtitlescomehard，don’tthey，Pete？’laughedBertram。

Petesmiledfaintly。

Nevermind，Pete，’soothedhisnewmistress。

Youshallcallme`MissBilly’allyourlifeifyouwantto。Bertram，’sheadded，turningtoherhusband，I’mgoingtojustrunup-stairsandputtheseinUncleWilliam’sroomssothey’llbetherewhenhecomesin。We’llseehowsoonhediscoversthem!’

BeforePetecouldstophershewashalf-wayupthefirstflightofstairs。Eventhenhetriedtospeaktohisyoungmaster，toexplainthatMr。Williamwasnotlivingthere；butthewordsrefusedtocome。Hecouldonlystanddumblywaiting。

Inaminuteitcame——Billy’ssharp，startledcry。

Bertram!Bertram!’

Bertramsprangforthestairway，buthehadnotreachedthetopwhenhemethiswifecomingdown。Shewaswhite-facedandtrembling。

Bertram——thoserooms——there’snotsomuchasateapotthere!UncleWilliam’s——

gone!’

Gone!’Bertramwheeledsharply。Pete，whatisthemeaningofthis？Whereismybrother？’Tohearhim，onewouldthinkhesuspectedtheoldservantofhavinghiddenhismaster。

Peteliftedashakinghandandfumbledwithhiscollar。

He’smoved，sir。’

Moved!Oh，youmeantootherrooms——toCyril’s。’Bertramrelaxedvisibly。He’supstairs，maybe。’

Peteshookhishead。

No。sir。He’smovedaway——outofthehouse，sir。’

ForabriefmomentBertramstaredasifhecouldnotbelievewhathisearshadheard。Then，stepbystep，hebegantodescendthestairs。

Doyoumean——tosay——thatmybrother——hasmoved-goneaway——_left_——his_home？_’

hedemanded。

Yes，sir。’

Billygavealowcry。

Butwhy——why？’shechoked，almoststumblingheadlongdownthestairwayinherefforttoreachthetwomenatthebottom。Pete，whydidhego？’

Therewasnoanswer。

Pete，’——Bertram’svoicewasverysharp——

whatisthemeaningofthis？Doyouknowwhymybrotherlefthishome？’

Theoldmanwethislipsandswallowedchokingly，buthedidnotspeak。

I’mwaiting，Pete。’

Billylaidonehandontheoldservant’sarm——intheotherhandshestilltightlyclutchedthemirrorknobs。

Pete，ifyoudoknow，won’tyoutellus，please？’shebegged。

Petelookeddownatthehand，thenupatthetroubledyoungfacewiththebeseechingeyes。

Hisownfeaturesworkedconvulsively。Withavisibleeffortheclearedhisthroat。

Iknow——whathesaid，’hestammered，hiseyesaverted。

Whatwasit？’

Therewasnoanswer。

Lookhere，Pete，you’llhavetotellus，youknow，’cutinBertram，decisively，soyoumightaswelldoitnowasever。’

OncemorePeteclearedhisthroat。Thistimethewordscameinaburstofdesperation。

Yes，sir。Iunderstand，sir。Itwasonlythathesaid——hesaidashowyoungfolksdidn’t_need_

anyoneelsearound。Sohewasgoin’。’

Didn’t_need_anyoneelse!’exclaimedBertram，plainlynotcomprehending。

Yes，sir。Youtwobein’marriedso，now。’

Pete’seyeswerestillaverted。

Billygavealowcry。

Youmean——because_I_came？’shedemanded。

Why，yes，Miss——no——thatis——’PetestoppedwithanappealingglanceatBertram。

Thenitwas——it_was_——onaccountof_me_，’

chokedBilly。

PetelookedstillmoredistressedNo，no!’hefaltered。Itwasonlythathethoughtyouwouldn’twanthimherenow。’

Wanthimhere!’ejaculatedBertram。

Wanthimhere!’echoedBilly，withasob。

Pete，whereishe？’Assheaskedthequestionshedroppedthemirrorknobsintoheropenbag，andreachedforhercoatandgloves——shehadnotremovedherhat。

Petegavetheaddress。

It’sjustdownthestreetabitandupthehill，’headdedexcitedly，diviningherpurpose。

It’sasortofaboarding-house，Ireckon。’

A_boarding-house_——forUncleWilliam!’

scornedBilly，hereyesablaze。Come，Bertram，we’llseeaboutthat。’

Bertramreachedoutadetaininghand。

But，dearest，you’resotired，’hedemurred。

Hadn’twebetterwaittillafterdinner，ortillto-morrow？’

Afterdinner!To-morrow!’Billy’seyesblazedanew。Why，BertramHenshaw，doyouthinkI’dleavethatdearmanevenoneminutelonger，ifIcouldhelpit，withanotioninhisblessedoldheadthatwedidn’t_want_him？’

Butyousaidalittlewhileagoyouhadaheadache，dear，’stillobjectedBertram。Ifyou’djusteatyourdinner!’

Dinner!’chokedBilly。IwonderifyouthinkIcouldeatanydinnerwithUncleWilliamturnedoutofhishome!I’mgoingtofindUncleWilliam。’Andshestumbledblindlytowardthedoor。

Bertramreachedforhishat。HethrewadespairingglanceintoPete’seyes。

We’llbeback——whenwecan，’hesaid，withafrown。

Yes，sir，’answeredPete，respectfully。Then，asifimpelledbysomehiddenforce，hetouchedhismaster’sarm。Itwasthatwayshelooked，sir，whenshecameto_you_——thatnightlastJuly——withhereyesallshining，’hewhispered。

AtendersmilecurvedBertram’slips。Thefrownvanishedfromhisface。

Blessyou，Pete——andblessher，too!’hewhisperedback。Thenextmomenthehadhurriedafterhiswife。

ThehousethatborethenumberPetehadgivenprovedtohaveapretentiousdoorway，andalandladywho，inresponsetothesummonsoftheneatmaid，appearedwithamostimpressiverustleofblacksilkandjetbugles。

No，Mr。WilliamHenshawwasnotinhisrooms。Infact，hewasveryseldomthere。Hisbusiness，shebelieved，calledhimtoStateStreetthroughtheday。Outsideofthat，shehadbeentold，hespentmuchtimesittingonabenchintheCommon。Doubtless，iftheycaredtosearch，theycouldfindhimtherenow。

AbenchintheCommon，indeed!’stormedBilly，assheandBertramhurrieddownthewidestonesteps。UncleWilliam——onabench!’

Butsurelynow，dear，’venturedherhusband，you’llcomehomeandgetyourdinner!’

Billyturnedindignantly。