第13章

OnthedayafterhisdinnerwithMr。andMrs。

BertramHenshaw，HughCalderwellleftBostonanddidnotreturnuntilmorethanamonthhadpassed。Oneofhisfirstacts，whenhedidcome，wastolookupMr。M。J。ArkwrightattheaddresswhichBillyhadgivenhim。

CalderwellhadnotseenArkwrightsincetheypartedinParissometwoyearsbefore，afterasix-

monthstrampthroughEuropetogether。CalderwelllikedArkwrightthen，greatly，andhelostnotimenowinrenewingtheacquaintance。

Theaddress，asgivenbyBilly，provedtobeanattractivebutmodestapartmenthotelneartheConservatoryofMusic；andCalderwellwasdelightedtofindArkwrightathomeinhiscomfortablelittlebachelorsuite。

Arkwrightgreetedhimmostcordially。

Well，well，’hecried，ifitisn’tCalderwell!

Andhow’sMontBlanc？OrisittheKillarneyLakesthistime，ormaybetheSphinxthatI

shouldinquirefor，eh？’

Guessagain，’laughedCalderwell，throwingoffhisheavycoatandsettlinghimselfcomfortablyintheinviting-lookingmorrischairhisfriendpulledforward。

Sha’n’tdoit，’retortedArkwright，withasmile。Inevergambleonpalpableuncertainties，exceptforachancethrowortwo，asIgaveaminuteago。Yourmovementsarealtogethertooerratic，andtoofar-reaching，forordinarymortalstokeeptrackof。’

Well，maybeyou’reright，’grinnedCalderwell，appreciatively。Anyhow，youwouldhavelostthistime，surething，forI’vebeenworking。’

Seenthedoctoryet？’queriedArkwright，coolly，pushingthecigarsacrossthetable。

Thanks——forboth，’sniffedCalderwell，withareproachfulglance，helpinghimself。Yourgoodjudgmentinsomemattersisstillunimpaired，Isee，’heobserved，tappingthelittlegildedbandwhichhadtoldhimthecigarwasanoldfavorite。

Astoothermatters，however，——you’rewrongagain，myfriend，inyoursurmise。Iamnotsick，andIhavebeenworking。’

So？Well，I’mtoldtheyhaveverygoodspecialistshere。Someoneofthemoughttohityourcase。Still——howlonghasitbeenrunning？’Arkwright’sfaceshowedonlygraveconcern。

Oh，come，letup，Arkwright，’snappedCalderwell，strikinghismatchalightwithavigorousjerk。I’lladmitIhaven’tevergivenany_special_

indicationofanabsorbingpassionforwork。Butwhatcanyouexpectofafellowbornwithawholedozensilverspoonsinhismouth？Andthat’swhatIwas，accordingtoBertramHenshaw。

Accordingtohimagain，it’sawonderI

evertriedtofeedmyself；andperhapshe’sright——withmymouthalreadysofull。’

Ishouldsayso，’laughedArkwright。

Well，bethatasitmay。I’mgoingtofeedmyself，andI’mgoingtoearnmyfeed，too。I

haven’tclimbedamountainorpaddledacanoe，forayear。I’vebeeninChicagocultivatingtheacquaintanceofJohnDoeandRichardRoe。’

Youmean——law？’

Sure。Istudiedithereforawhile，beforethatboutofoursacoupleofyearsago。Billydrovemeaway，then。’

Billy!——er——Mrs。Henshaw？’

Yes。IthoughtItoldyou。Sheturneddownmytenth-dozenproposalsoemphaticallythatI

lostallinterestinBostonandtooktothetalltimberagain。ButI’vecomeback。Afriendofmyfather’swrotemetocomeonandconsideragoodopeningtherewasinhislawoffice。Icameonamonthago，andconsidered。ThenIwentbacktopackup。NowI’vecomeforgood，andhereIam。Youhavemyhistorytodate。Nowtellmeofyourself。You’relookingasfitasapennyfromthemint，eventhoughyouhavediscardedthat`lovely’brownbeard。Wasthataconcessionto——er——_MaryJane_？’

Arkwrightliftedaquickhandofprotest。

`MichaelJeremiah，’please。Thereisno`MaryJane，’now，’hesaidabitstiffly。

Theotherstaredalittle。Thenhegavealowchuckle。

`MichaelJeremiah，’’herepeatedmusingly，eyeingtheglowingtipofhiscigar。Andtothinkhowthatmysterious`M。J。’usedtotantalizeme!Doyoumean，’headded，turningslowly，thatnoonecallsyou`MaryJane’

now？’

Notiftheyknowwhatisbestforthem。’

Oh!’Calderwellnotedthesmoulderingfireintheother’seyesalittlecuriously。Verywell。I’lltakethehint——MichaelJeremiah。’

Thanks。’Arkwrightrelaxedalittle。Totellthetruth，I’vehadquiteenoughnow——ofMaryJane。’

Verygood。Sobeit，’noddedtheother，stillregardinghisfriendthoughtfully。Buttellme——whatofyourself？’

Arkwrightshruggedhisshoulders。

There’snothingtotell。You’veseen。I’mhere。’

Humph!Verypretty，’scoffedCalderwell。

Thenif_you_won’ttell，I_will_。IsawBillyamonthago，yousee。Itseemsyou’vehitthetrailforGrandOpera，asyouthreatenedtothatnightinParis；butyou_haven’t_broughtupinvaudeville，asyouprophesiedyouwoulddo——though，forthatmatter，judgingfromtheplumssomeofthestarsarepickingonthevaudevillestage，nowadays，thatisn’ttobesneezedat。ButBillysaysyou’vemadetwoorthreeappearancesalreadyonthesacredboardsthemselves——oneofthemasubscriptionperformance——andthatyoucreatednoendofasensation。’

Nonsense!I’mmerelyastudentattheOperaSchoolhere，’scowledArkwright。

Oh，yes，Billysaidyouwerethat，butshealsosaidyouwouldn’tbe，long。Thatyou’dalreadyhadonegoodoffer——I’mnotspeakingofmarriage——

andthatyouweregoingabroadnextsummer，andthattheywereallinsufferablyproudofyou。’

Nonsense!’scowledArkwright，again，coloringlikeagirl。Thatisonlysomeof——ofMrs。

Henshaw’skindflattery。’

Calderwelljerkedthecigarfrombetweenhislips，andsatsuddenlyforwardinhischair。

Arkwright，tellmeaboutthem。Howaretheymakingitgo？’

Arkwrightfrowned。

Who？Makewhatgo？’heasked。

TheHenshaws。Isshehappy？Ishe——onthesquare？’

Arkwright’sfacedarkened。

Well，really，’hebegan；butCalderwellinterrupted。

Oh，come；don’tbesqueamish。YouthinkI’mbuttingintowhatdoesn’tconcernme；butI’mnot。WhatconcernsBillydoesconcernme。

Andifhedoesn’tmakeherhappy，I’ll——I’llkillhim。’

InspiteofhimselfArkwrightlaughed。Thevehemenceoftheother’swords，andthefiercenesswithwhichhepuffedathiscigarashefellbackinhischairweremostexpressiveWell，Idon’tthinkyouneedtoloadrevolversnorsharpendaggers，justyet，’heobservedgrimly。

Calderwelllaughedthistime，thoughwithoutmuchmirth。

Oh，I’mnotinlovewithBilly，now，’heexplained。Pleasedon’tthinkIam。Ishouldn’tseeherifIwas，ofcourse。’

Arkwrightchangedhispositionsuddenly，bringinghisfaceintotheshadow。Calderwelltalkedonwithoutpausing。

No，I’mnotinlovewithBilly。ButBilly’satrump。Youknowthat。’

Ido。’Thewordswerelow，butsteadilyspoken。

Ofcourseyoudo!Wealldo。Andwewantherhappy。ButasforhermarryingBertram——

youcouldhavebowledmeoverwithasoapbubblewhenIheardshe’ddoneit。Nowunderstand：

Bertramisagoodfellow，andIlikehim。I’veknownhimallhislife，andhe’sallright。Oh，sixoreightyearsago，tobesure，hegotinwithasetoffellows——BobSeaverandhisclique——thatwerenogood。WentinforBohemianism，andallthatrot。Itwasn’tgoodforBertram。He’sgottheconfoundedtemperamentthatgoeswithhistalent，Isuppose——thoughwhyamancan’tpaintapicture，orsingasong，andkeephistemperandalevelheadIdon’tsee!’

Hecan，’cutinArkwright，withcurtemphasis。

Humph!Well，that’swhatIthink。But，aboutthismarriagebusiness。Bertramadmiresaprettyfacewhereverheseesit——_topaint_，andalwayshas。Notbutthathe’sstraightasastringwithwomen——Idon’tmeanthat；

butgirlsarealwaysjustsomanypicturestobepickeduponhisbrushesandtransferredtohiscanvases。Andasforhissettlingdownandmarryinganybodyforkeeps，rightalong——GreatScott!imagineBertramHenshawasa_domestic_

man!’

Arkwrightstirredrestlesslyashespokeupinquickdefense：

Oh，butheis，Iassureyou。I——I’veseenthemintheirhometogether——manytimes。I

thinktheyare——veryhappy。’Arkwrightspokewithdecision，thoughstillalittlediffidently。

Calderwellwassilent。Hehadpickedupthelittlegiltbandhehadtornfromhiscigarandwasfingeringitmusingly。

Yes；I’veseenthem——once，’hesaid，afteraminute。ItookdinnerwiththemwhenIwason，amonthago。’

Iheardyoudid。’

AtsomethinginArkwright’svoice，Calderwellturnedquickly。

Whatdoyoumean？Whydoyousayitlikethat？’

Arkwrightlaughed。Theconstraintfledfromhismanner。

Well，Imayaswelltellyou。You’llhearofit。It’snosecret。Mrs。Henshawherselftellsofiteverywhere。Itwasherfriend，AliceGreggory，whotoldmeofitfirst，however。Itseemsthecookwasgone，andthemistresshadtogetthedinnerherself。’

Yes，Iknowthat。’

ButyoushouldhearMrs。Henshawtellthestorynow，orBertram。Itseemssheknewnothingwhateveraboutcooking，andhertrialsandtribulationsingettingthatdinnerontothetablewereonlyonedegreeworsethanthedinneritself，accordingtoherstory。Didn’tyou——er——noticeanything？’

Noticeanything!’explodedCalderwell。I

noticedthatBillywassobrilliantshefairlyradiatedsparks；andInoticedthatBertramwassoglumhe——healmostradiatedthunderclaps。

ThenIsawthatBilly’shighspiritswereallassumedtocoverathreatenedburstoftears，andIlaiditalltohim。Ithoughthe’dsaidsomethingtohurther；andIcouldhavepunchedhim。GreatScott!Was_that_whatailedthem？’

Ireckonitwas。AlicesaysthatsincethenMrs。Henshawhasfairlyhauntedthekitchen，beggingElizatoteachhereverything，_everysinglething_sheknows!’

Calderwellchuckled。

Ifthatisn’tjustlikeBilly!Sheneverdoesanythingbyhalves。ByGeorge，butshewasgameoverthatdinner!Icanseeitallnow。’

Alicesaysshe’sreallylearningtocook，inspiteofoldPete’shorror，andEliza’spleadingsnottospoilherprettyhands。’

ThenPeteisbackallright？Whatafaithfuloldsoulheis!’

Arkwrightfrownedslightly。

Yes，he’sfaithful，butheisn’tallright，byanymeans。Ithinkhe’sasickman，myself。’

WhatmakesBillylethimwork，then？’

Lethim!’sniffedArkwright。I’dliketoseeyoutrytostophim!Mrs。Henshawbegsandpleadswithhimtostop，buthescoutstheidea。

Peteisthoroughlyandunalterablyconvincedthatthefamilywouldstarvetodeathifitweren’tforhim；andMrs。Henshawsaysthatshe’lladmithehassomegroundsforhisopinionwhenonerememberstheconditionofthekitchenanddining-roomthenightshepresidedoverthem。’

PoorBilly!’chuckledCalderwell。I’dhavegonedownintothekitchenmyselfifI’dsuspectedwhatwasgoingon。’

Arkwrightraisedhiseyebrows。

Perhapsit’swellyoudidn’t——ifBertram’spictureofwhathefoundtherewhenhewentdownisatrueone。Mrs。Henshawacknowledgesthateventhecatsoughtrefugeunderthestove。’

AsiftheveriestwormthatcrawlseverneededtoseekrefugefromBilly!’scoffedCalderwell。

Bytheway，what’sthisAnnexIhearof？Bertrammentionedit，butIcouldn’tgeteitherofthemtotellwhatitwas。Billywouldn’t，andBertramsaidhecouldn’t——notwithBillyshakingherheadathimlikethat。SoIhadmysuspicions。

OneofBilly’spetcharities？’