第9章

NowshefoundinWilliam’sface，notpity，butacalm，evenjovial，acceptanceofthesituationasamatterofcourse。Shehadknownshewasgoingtohatethatpity；butnow，curiouslyenough，shewasconsciousonlyofangerthatthepitywasnotthere——thatshemighthateit。

Shetossedherheadalittle。SoevenWilliam——UncleWilliam——regardedthismonstrousthingasaninsignificantmatterofeverydayexperience。

Maybeheexpectedittooccurfrequently——everynight，orso。Doubtlesshedidexpectittooccureverynight，orso。Indeed!Verywell。Asifsheweregoingtoshow_now_thatshecaredwhetherBertramwerethereornot!Theyshouldsee。

Sowithheadheldhighandeyesasparkle，Billymarchedintothedining-roomandtookheraccustomedplace。

CHAPTERVII

THEBIGBADQUARREL

Itwasabrilliantdinner——becauseBillymadeitso。AtfirstWilliammethersalliesofwitwithmildsurprise；butitwasnotlongbeforeherosegallantlytotheoccasion，andgavebackfullmeasureofretort。EvenPetetwicehadtoturnhisbacktohideasmile，andoncehishandshooksothattheteahewascarryingalmostspilled。

Thisthreatenedcatastrophe，however，seemedtofrightenhimsomuchthathisfacewasverygravethroughouttherestofthedinner。

Stilllaughingandtalkinggayly，BillyandUncleWilliam，afterthemealwasover，ascendedtothedrawing-room。There，however，theman，inspiteoftheyoungwoman’sgaybadinage，felltodozinginthebigchairbeforethefire，leavingBillywithonlySpunkieforcompany——Spunkie，who，disdainingeveryefforttoenticeherintoaromp，onlywinkedandblinkedstupideyes，andfinallycurledherselfontherugforanap。

Billy，lefttoherowndevices，glancedatherwatch。

Half-pastseven!Time，almost，forBertramtobecoming。Hehadsaiddinner’；and，ofcourse，afterdinnerwasoverhewouldbecominghome——toher。Verywell；shewouldshowhimthatshehadatleastgotalongwithouthimaswellashehadwithouther。Atalleventshewouldnotfindherforlornlysittingwithhernosepressedagainstthewindow-pane!AndforthwithBillyestablishedherselfinabigchair(withitsbackcarefullyturnedtowardthedoorbywhichBertramwouldenter)，andopenedabook。

Five，ten，fifteenminutespassed。Billyfidgetedinherchair，twistedhernecktolookoutintothehall——anddroppedherbookwithabang。

UncleWilliamjerkedhimselfawake，andSpunkieopenedsleepyeyes。Thenbothsettledthemselvesforanothernap。Billysighed，pickedupherbook，andflouncedbackintoherchair。

Butshedidnotread。Disconsolatelyshesatstaringstraightahead——untilaquicksteponthesidewalkoutsidestirredherintoinstantaction。

Assumingalookofabsorbedinterestshetwitchedthebookopenandhelditbeforeherface……

Butthesteppassedbythedoor：andBillysawthenthatherbookwasupsidedown。

Five，ten，fifteenmoreminutespassed。Billystillsat，apparentlyreading，thoughshehadnotturnedapage。Thebooknow，however，wasrightsideup。Onebyoneotherminutespassedtillthegreatclockinthehallstruckninelongstrokes。

Well，well，blessmysoul!’mumbledUncleWilliam，resolutelyforcinghimselftowakeup。

Whattimewasthat？’

Nineo’clock。’Billyspokewithtragicdistinctness，yetverycheerfully。

Eh？Onlynine？’blinkedUncleWilliam。

Ithoughtitmustbeten。Well，anyhow，I

believeI’llgoup-stairs。Iseemtobeunusuallysleepy。’

Billysaidnothing。`Onlynine，’indeed!’

shewasthinkingwrathfully。

AtthedoorUncleWilliamturned。

You’renotgoingtositup，mydear，ofcourse，’heremarked。

ForthesecondtimethateveningacoldhandseemedtoclutchBilly’sheart。

_Situp!_Haditcomealreadytothat？Wassheevennowawifewhohadneedto_situp_forherhusband？

Ireallywouldn’t，mydear，’advisedUncleWilliamagain。Goodnight。’

Oh，butI’mnotsleepyatall，yet，’Billymanagedtodeclarebrightly。Goodnight。’

ThenUncleWilliamwentup-stairs。

Billyturnedtoherbook，whichhappenedtobeoneofWilliam’sonFakeAntiques。’

`Tocollectanything，thesedays，requiresexpertknowledge，andtheutmostcareanddiscrimination，’’readBilly’seyes。SoUncleWilliam_expected_Bertramwasgoingtospendthewholeeveningaswellasstaytodinner!’ranBilly’sthoughts。`Theenormousquantityofbijouterie，DresdenandBatterseaenamelwarethatisnowfloodingthemarket，ismadeontheContinent——andmadechieflyfortheAmericantrade，’’continuedthebook。

Well，whocaresifitis，’snappedBilly，springingtoherfeetandtossingthevolumeaside。

Spunkie，comehere!You’vesimplygottoplaywithme。Doyouhear？Iwanttobegay——_gay_——GAY!He’sgay。He’sdowntherewiththosemen，wherehewantstobe。Wherehe’d_rather_bethanbewithme!DoyouthinkIwanthimtocomehomeandfindmemopingoverastupidoldbook？Notmuch!I’mgoingtohavehimfindmegay，too。Now，come，Spunkie；

hurry——wakeup!He’llbehererightaway，I’msure。’AndBillyshookapairofworstedreins，hungwithlittlesoftballs，fullinSpunkie’sface。

ButSpunkiewouldnotwakeup，andSpunkiewouldnotplay。Shepretendedto。Shebitatthereins，andsankhersharpclawsintothedanglingballs。Forafleetinginstant，even，somethinglikemischiefgleamedinherbigyelloweyes。

Thenthejawsrelaxed，thepawsturnedtovelvet，andSpunkie’ssleekgrayheadsettledslowlybackintolazycomfort。Spunkiewasasleep。

Billygazedatthecatwithreproachfuleyes。

Andyou，too，Spunkie，’shemurmured。

Thenshegottoherfeetandwentbacktoherchair。Thistimeshepickedupamagazineandbegantoturntheleavesveryfast，oneafteranother。

Half-pastninecame，thenten。PeteappearedatthedoortogetSpunkie，andtoseethateverythingwasallrightforthenight。

Mr。Bertramisnotinyet？’hebegandoubtfully。

Billyshookherheadwithabrightsmile。

No，Pete。Gotobed。Iexpecthimeveryminute。Goodnight。’

Thankyou，ma’am。Goodnight。’

Theoldmanpickedupthesleepycatandwentdown-stairs。AlittlelaterBillyheardhisquietstepscomingbackthroughthehallandascendingthestairs。Shelisteneduntilfromawayatthetopofthehousesheheardhisdoorclose。Thenshedrewalongbreath。

Teno’clock——afterteno’clock，andBertramnotthereyet!Andwasthiswhathecalleddinner？

Didoneeat，then，tillteno’clock，whenonedinedwithone’sfriends？

Billywasangrynow——veryangry。Shewastooangrytobereasonable。Thisthingthatherhusbandhaddoneseemedmonstroustoher，smarting，asshewas，underthestingofhurtprideandgrievedloneliness——thestateofmindintowhichshehadworkedherself。Nolongernowdidshewishtobegaywhenherhusbandcame。Nolongerdidsheevenpretendtoassumeindifference。Bertramhaddonewrong。Hehadbeenunkind，cruel，thoughtless，inconsiderateofhercomfortandhappiness。Furthermorehe_didnot_loveheraswellasshedidhimorhenever，nevercouldhavedoneit!Shewouldlethimsee，whenhecame，justhowhurtandgrievedshewas——andhowdisappointed，too。

Billywaswalkingthefloornow，backandforth，backandforth。

Half-pasttencame，theneleven。AstheelevenlongstrokesreverberatedthroughthesilenthouseBillydrewinherbreathandhelditsuspended。

Anewlookcametohereyes。Agrowingterrorcreptintothemandculminatedinafrightenedstareattheclock。

Billyranthentothegreatouterdoorandpulleditopen。Acoldwindstungherface，andcausedhertoshutthedoorquickly。Backandforthshebegantopacetheflooragain；butinfiveminutesshehadruntothedooroncemore。ThistimesheworeaheavycoatofBertram’swhichshecaughtupasshepassedthehall-rack。

OutontothebroadtopstepBillyhurried，andpeereddownthestreet。Asfarasshecouldseenotapersonwasinsight。AcrossthestreetinthePublicGardenthewindstirredthegraytree-branchesandsetthemtocastingweirdshadowsonthebare，frozenground。AwarningsomethingbehindhersentBillyscurryingintothehousejustintimetopreventtheheavydoor’sclosingandshuttingherout，keyless，inthecold。

Half-pastelevencame，andagainBillyrantothedoor。Thistimesheputthefloor-matagainstthecasingsothatthedoorcouldnotclose。Oncemoreshepeeredwildlyupanddownthestreet，andacrossintothedeserted，wind-sweptGarden。

TherewasonlyterrornowinBilly’sface。Theangerwasallgone。InBilly’smindtherewasnotashadowofdoubt——somethinghadhappenedtoBertram。

Bertramwasill——hurt——dead!Andhewassogood，sokind，sonoble；suchadear，dearhusband!Ifonlyshecouldseehimonce。Ifonlyshecouldaskhisforgivenessforthosewicked，unkind，accusingthoughts。Ifonlyshecouldtellhimagainthatshedidlovehim。Ifonly——

Fardownthestreetasteprangsharplyonthefrostyair。Amasculinefigurewashurryingtowardthehouse。Retreatingwellintotheshadowofthedoorway，Billywatchedit，herheartpoundingagainsthersideingreatsuffocatingthrobs。

NearerandnearerstrodetheapproachingfigureuntilBillyhadalmostsprungtomeetitwithagladcry——almost，butnotquite；forthefigureneitherturnednorpaused，butmarchedstraighton——andBillysawthen，underthearclight，abrown-beardedmanwhowasnotBertramatall。

Threetimesduringthenextfewminutesdidthewaitinglittlebrideonthedoorstepwatchwithpalpitatingyearningashadowyformappear，approach——andpassby。Atthethirdheart-breakingdisappointment，Billywrungherhandshelplessly。

Idon’tseehowtherecanbe——somany——

utterly_useless_peopleintheworld!’shechoked。

Then，thoroughlychilledandsickatheart，shewentintothehouseandclosedthedoor。

Onceagain，backandforth，backandforth，Billytookupherwearyvigil。Shestillworetheheavycoat。Shehadforgottentotakeitoff。

Herfacewaspitifullywhiteanddrawn。Hereyeswerewild。Oneofherhandswasnervouslycaressingtheroughsleeveofthecoatasithungfromhershoulder。

One——two——three——

Billygaveasharpcryandranintothehall。

Yes，itwastwelveo’clock。Andnow，always，alltherestofthedreary，uselesshoursthatthatclockwouldtickawaythroughanendlessexistence，shewouldhavetolive——withoutBertram。

Ifonlyshecouldseehimoncemore!Butshecouldnot。Hewasdead。Hemustbedead，now。

Hereitwastwelveo’clock，and——

Therecameaquickstep，theclickofakeyinthelock，thenthedoorswungbackandBertram，big，strong，andmerry-eyed，stoodbeforeher。

Well，well，hullo，’hecalledjovially。Why，Billy，what’sthematter？’hebrokeoff，inquiteadifferenttoneofvoice。

Andthenacuriousthinghappened。Billy，who，aminutebefore，hadbeenseeingonlyadear，noble，adorable，_lost_Bertram，sawnowsuddenlyonlythemanthathadstayed_happily_tillmidnightwithtwofriends，whileshe——she——

Matter!Matter!’exclaimedBillysharply，then。Isthiswhatyoucallstayingtodinner，BertramHenshaw？’

Bertramstared。Aslowredstoletohisforehead。Itwashisfirstexperienceofcominghometomeetangryeyesthatquestionedhisbehavior——andhedidnotlikeit。Hehadbeen，perhaps，alittleconscience-smittenwhenhesawhowlatehehadstayed；andhehadintendedtosayhewassorry，ofcourse。Buttobethussharplycalledtoaccountforaperfectlyinnocentgoodtimewithacoupleoffriends——!TocomehomeandfindBillymakingaridiculousscenelikethis——!He——hewouldnotstandforit!He——

Bertram’slipssnappedopen。Theangryretortwasalmostspokenwhensomethinginthepiteouslyquiveringchinandwhite，drawnfaceoppositestoppeditjustintime。

Why，Billy——darling!’hemurmuredinstead。