第5章

AndleaveUncleWilliamonabenchintheCommon？Indeed，no!Why，Bertram，youwouldn’t，either，’shecried，assheturnedresolutelytowardoneoftheentrancestotheCommon。

AndBertram，withtheeyesallshining’

stillbeforehim，couldonlymurmur：No，ofcoursenot，dear!’andfollowobedientlywheresheled。

Underordinarycircumstancesitwouldhavebeenadelightfulhourforawalk。Thesunhadalmostset，andtheshadowslaylongacrossthegrass。TheairwascoolandunusuallybracingforadaysoearlyinSeptember。ButallthiswaslostonBertram。Bertramdidnotwishtotakeawalk。Hewashungry。Hewantedhisdinner；andhewanted，too，hisoldhomewithhisnewwifeflittingabouttheroomsashehadpicturedthisfirsteveningtogether。HewantedWilliam，ofcourse。CertainlyhewantedWilliam；

butifWilliamwouldinsistonrunningawayandsittingonparkbenchesinthisridiculousfashion，heoughttotaketheconsequences——

untilto-morrow。

Five，ten，fifteenminutespassed。Uponepathanddownanothertrudgedtheanxious-eyedBillyandherincreasinglyimpatienthusband。Thenwhenthefifteenwearyminuteshadbecomeastillmorewearyhalf-hour，thebondsBertramhadsetonhistempersnapped。

Billy，’heremonstrateddespairingly，do，please，comehome!Don’tyouseehowhighlyimprobableitisthatweshouldhappenonWilliamifwewalkedlikethisallnight？Hemightmove——changehisseat——gohome，even。Heprobablyhasgonehome。Andsurelyneverbeforedidabrideinsistonspendingthefirsteveningafterherreturntrampingupanddownapublicparkforhourafterhourlikethis，lookingforanyman。_Won’t_youcomehome？’

ButBillyhadnotevenheard。Withagladlittlecryshehaddartedtothesideofthehumped-upfigureofamanaloneonaparkbenchjustaheadofthem。

UncleWilliam!Oh，UncleWilliam，howcouldyou？’shecried，droppingherselfontooneendoftheseatandcatchingtheman’sarminbothherhands。

Yes，howcouldyou？’demandedBertram，withjustatouchofirritation，droppinghimselfontotheotherendoftheseat，andcatchingtheman’sotherarminhisoneusablehand。

Thebentshouldersandbowedheadstraightenedupwithajerk。

Well，well，blessmysoul!Ifitisn’tourlittlebride，’criedUncleWilliam，fondly。Andthehappybridegroom，too。Whendidyougethome？’

Wehaven’tgothome，’retortedBertram，promptly，beforehiswifecouldspeak。Oh，welookedinatthedooranhourorsoback；butwedidn’tstay。We’vebeenhuntingforyoueversince。’

Nonsense，children!’UncleWilliamspokewithgaycheeriness；butherefusedtomeeteitherBilly’sorBertram’seyes。

UncleWilliam，howcouldyoudoit？’

reproachedBilly，again。

Dowhat？’UncleWilliamwasplainlyfencingfortime。

Leavethehouselikethat？’

Ho!Iwantedachange。’

Asifwe’dbelievethat!’scoffedBilly。

Allright；let’scallityou’vehadthechange，then，’laughedBertram，andwe’llsendoverforyourthingsto-morrow。Come——nowlet’sgohometodinner。’

Williamshookhishead。Heessayedagaysmile。

Why，I’veonlyjustbegun。I’mgoingtostay——oh，Idon’tknowhowlongI’mgoingtostay，’hefinishedblithely。

Billyliftedherchinalittle。

UncleWilliam，youaren’tplayingsquare。

Petetolduswhatyousaidwhenyouleft。’

Eh？What？’Williamlookedupwithstartledeyes。

About——aboutournot_needing_you。Soweknow，now，whyyouleft；andwe_sha’n’tstand_

it。’

Pete？That？Oh，that——that’snonsenseI——I’llsettlewithPete。’

Billylaughedsoftly。

PoorPete!Don’t。Wesimplydraggeditoutofhim。Andnowwe’reheretotellyouthatwe_do_wantyou，andthatyou_must_comeback。’

AgainWilliamshookhishead。Aswiftshadowcrossedhisface。

Thankyou，no，children，’hesaiddully。

You’reverykind，butyoudon’tneedme。I

shouldbejustaninterferingelderbrother。I

shouldspoilyouryoungmarriedlife。’(William’svoicenowsoundedasifhewererecitingawell-

learnedlesson。)’IfIwentawayandstayedtwomonths，you’dneverforgettheutterfreedomandjoyofthosetwowholemonthswiththehousealltoyourselves。’

UncleWilliam，’gaspedBilly，what_are_

youtalkingabout？’

About——aboutmynotgoingback，ofcourse。’

Butyouarecomingback，’cutinBertram，almostangrily。Oh，come，Will，thisisutternonsense，andyouknowit!Come，let’sgohometodinner。’

AsternlookcametothecornersofWilliam’smouth——alookthatBertramunderstoodwell。

Allright，I’llgotodinner，ofcourse；butIsha’n’tstay，’saidWilliam，firmly。I’vethoughtitallout。IknowI’mright。Come，we’llgotodinnernow，andsaynomoreaboutit，’hefinishedwithacheerysmile，asherosetohisfeet。Then，tothebride，headded：Didyouhaveanicetrip，littlegirl？’

Billy，too，hadrisen，now，butshedidnotseemtohaveheardhisquestion。Inthefastfallingtwilightherfacelookedalittlewhite。

UncleWilliam，’shebeganveryquietly，doyouthinkforaminutethatjustbecauseImarriedyourbrotherIamgoingtoliveinthathouseandturnyououtofthehomeyou’velivedinallyourlife？’

Nonsense，dear!I’mnotturnedout。Ijustgo，’correctedUncleWilliam，gayly。

WithsuperbdisdainBillybrushedthisaside。

Oh，no，youwon’t，’shedeclared；but——

_Ishall_。’

Billy!’gaspedBertram。

My——mydear!’expostulatedWilliam，faintly。

UncleWilliam!Bertram!Listen，’pantedBilly。Inevertoldyoumuchbefore，butI’mgoingto，now。Longago，whenIwentawaywithAuntHannah，yoursisterKateshowedmehowdeartheoldhomewastoyou——howmuchyouthoughtofit。Andshesaid——shesaidthatIhadupseteverything。’(Bertraminterjectedasharpword，butBillypaidnoattention。)That’swhyIwent；and_Ishallgoagain_——ifyoudon’tcomehometo-morrowtostay，UncleWilliam。

Come，nowlet’sgotodinner，please。Bertram’shungry，’shefinished，withabrightsmile。

Therewasatensemomentofsilence。WilliamglancedatBertram；Bertramreturnedtheglance——withinterest。

Er——ah——yes；well，wemightgotodinner，’

stammeredWilliam，afteraminute。

Er——yes，’agreedBertram。Andthethreefellintosteptogether。

CHAPTERIV

JUSTLIKEBILLY’

BillydidnotleavetheStratathistime。

Beforetwenty-fourhourshadpassed，thelastcherishedfragmentofMr。WilliamHenshaw’spossessionshadbeencarefullycarrieddowntheimposingstepsoftheBeaconHillboarding-houseunderthedisapprovingeyesofitsbugle-adornedmistress，whofoundherselfnowwithamonth’sadvancerentandtwovacantparlors’onherhands。Beforeanothertwenty-fourhourshadpassedherquondamboarder，withatiredsigh，sankintohisfavoritemorrischairinhisoldfamiliarrooms，andlookedabouthimwithcontentedeyes。Everytreasurewasinplace，fromthetraditionalfoursmallstonesofhisbabyhooddaystotheBatterseasBillyhadjustbroughthim。

Pete，asofyore，washoveringnearwithadust-

cloth。Bertram’sgaywhistlesoundedfromthefloorbelow。WilliamHenshawwasathomeagain。

Thismuchaccomplished，BillywenttoseeAuntHannah。

AuntHannahgreetedheraffectionately，thoughwithtearfullytroubledeyes。Shewaswearingagrayshawlto-daytoppedwithablackone——

suresignofunrest，eitherphysicalormental，asallherfriendsknew。

I’dbeguntothinkyou’dforgotten——me，’

shefaltered，withapoorattemptatgayety。

You’vebeenhomethreewholedays。’

Iknow，dearie，’smiledBilly；and’twasashame。ButIhavebeensobusy!Mytrunkscameatlast，andI’vebeenhelpingUncleWilliamgetsettled，too。’

AuntHannahlookedpuzzled。

UncleWilliamgetsettled？Youmean——

he’schangedhisroom？’

Billylaughedoddly，andthrewaswiftglanceintoAuntHannah’sface。

Well，yes，hedidchange，’shemurmured；

buthe’smovedbacknowintotheoldquarters。

Er——youhaven’theardfromUncleWilliamthen，lately，Itakeit。’

No。’AuntHannahshookherheadabstractedly。Ididseehimonce，severalweeksago；butIhaven’t，since。Wehadquiteatalk，then；and，Billy，I’vebeenwantingtospeaktoyou，’shehurriedon，alittlefeverishly。I

didn’tliketoleave，ofcourse，tillyoudidcomehome，aslongasyou’dsaidnothingaboutyourplans；but——’

Leave!’interposedBilly，dazedly。Leavewhere？Whatdoyoumean？’

Why，leavehere，ofcourse，dear。Imean。

Ididn’tliketogetmyroomwhileyouwereaway；butIshallnow，ofcourse，atonce。’

Nonsense，AuntHannah!AsifI’dletyoudothat，’laughedBilly。

AuntHannahstiffenedperceptibly。Herlipslookedsuddenlythinanddetermined。Eventhesoftlittlecurlsaboveherearsseemedactuallytobristlewithresolution。

Billy，’shebeganfirmly，wemightaswellunderstandeachotheratonce。Iknowyourgoodheart，andIappreciateyourkindness。ButIcannotcometolivewithyou。Ishallnot。Itwouldn’tbebest。Ishouldbelikeaninterferingelderbrotherinyourhome。Ishouldspoilyouryoungmarriedlife；andifIwentawayfortwomonthsyou’dneverforgettheutterjoyandfreedomofthosetwomonthswiththewholehousealitoyourselves。’

AtthebeginningofthisspeechBilly’seyeshadstillcarriedtheirdancingsmile，butastheperorationprogressedontotheend，adawningsurprise，whichsoonbecameapuzzledquestioning，drovethesmileaway。ThenBillysatsuddenlyerect。

Why，AuntHannah，that’sexactlywhatUncleWilliam——’Billystopped，andregardedAuntHannahwithquicksuspicion。Thenextmomentsheburstintogleefullaughter。

AuntHannahlookedgrieved，andnotalittlesurprised；butBillydidnotseemtonoticethis。

Oh，oh，AuntHannah——you，too!Howperfectlyfunny!’shegurgled。Tothinkyoutwooldblessedsshouldgetyourheadstogetherlikethis!’

AuntHannahstirredrestively，andpulledtheblackshawlmorecloselyabouther。

Indeed，Billy，Idon’tknowwhatyoumeanbythat，’shesighed，withavisibleeffortatself-

control；butIdoknowthatIcannotgotolivewithyou。’

Blessyourheart，dear，Idon’twantyouto，’

soothedBilly，withgaypromptness。

Oh!O-h-h，’stammeredAuntHannah，surprise，mortification，dismay，andagrievedhurtbringingafloodofcolortoherface。Itisonethingtorefuseahome，andquiteanothertohaveahomerefusedyou。

Oh!O-h-h，AuntHannah，’criedBilly，turningveryredinherturn。Please，_please_don’tlooklikethat。Ididn’tmeanitthatway。Idowantyou，dear，only——Iwantyousomewhereelsemore。Iwantyou——here。’

Here!’AuntHannahlookedrelieved，butunconvinced。

Yes。Don’tyoulikeithere？’

Likeit!Why，Iloveit，dear。YouknowI

do。Butyoudon’tneedthishousenow，Billy。’

Oh，yes，Ido，’retortedBilly，airily。I’mgoingtokeepitup，andIwantyouhere。

Fiddlededee，Billy!AsifI’dletyoukeepupthishousejustforme，’scornedAuntHannah。

’Tisn’tjustforyou。It’sfor——forlotsoffolks。’

Mygriefandconscience，Billy!Whatareyoutalkingabout？’

Billylaughed，andsettledherselfmorecomfortablyonthehassockatAuntHannah’sfeet。