第2章
"Why，Mr.Cyril，don’tyousee？Spunkistryingtosay’Howdoyoudo’？"
"Verylikely;butI’mnotfondofcats，MissBilly."
"You’renotfond——of——cats！"repeatedthegirl，asifshecouldnothaveheardaright."Whynot？"
Cyrilchangedhisposition.
"Why，justbecauseI——I’mnot，"heretortedlamely."Isn’tthereanythingthat——thatyoudon’tlike？"
Billyconsidered.
"Why，notthatIknowof，"shebegan，afteramoment，"onlyrainydaysand——tripe.AndSpunkisn’tabitlikethose."
Bertramchuckled，andevenCyrilsmiled——thoughunwillingly.
"Allthesame，"hereiterated，"Idon’tlikecats."
"Oh，I’msosorry，"lamentedBilly;andatthegrievedhurtinherdarkeyesBertramcamepromptlytotherescue.
"Nevermind，MissBilly.CyrilisonlyONEofus，andthereisalltherestoftheStratabesides."
"The——what？"
"TheStrata.Youdon’tknow，ofcourse，butlisten，andI’lltellyou."Andhelaunchedgailyforthintohisfavoritestory.
Billywasdulyamusedandinterested.Shelaughedandclappedherhands，andwhenthestorywasdonesheclappedthemagain.
"Oh，whatafunnyhouse！AndhowperfectlylovelythatI’mgoingtoliveinit，"shecried.ThenstraightatMrs.Hartwellshehurledabombshell."Butwhereisyourstratum？"shedemanded.
"Mr.Bertramdidn’tmentionathingaboutyou！"
Cyrilsaidasharpwordunderhisbreath.Bertramchokedoveracough.KatethrewintoWilliam’seyesalookthatwasatonceangry，accusing，anddespairing.ThenWilliamspoke.
"Er——she——itisn’tanywhere，mydear，"hestammered;"orrather，itisn’there.KatelivesupontheAvenue，yousee，andisonlyherefor——foradayortwo——justnow."
"Oh！"murmuredBilly.AndtherewasnotoneintheroomatthatmomentwhodidnotblessSpunk——forSpunksuddenlyleapedtothetablebeforehim;andintheensuingconfusionhismistressquiteforgottoquestionfurtherconcerningMrs.Hartwell’sstratum.
Dinnerover，thethreemen，withtheirsisterandBilly，trailedup—stairstothedrawing—rooms.Billytoldthem，then，ofherlifeatHampdenFalls.ShecriedalittleatthementionofAuntElla;
andsheportrayedveryvividlythelonelylifefromwhichsheherselfhadsogladlyescaped.Shesoonhadeveryonelaughing，evenCyril，overherstoriesofthelawyer’shomethatmighthavebeenhers，withitsgloomanditshushanditssocketedchairs.
Assoonaspossible，however，Mrs.Hartwell，withamurmured"I
knowyoumustbetired，Billy，"suggestedthatthegirlgoup—
stairstoherroom."Come，"sheadded，"Iwillshowyoutheway."
Therewassomedelay，eventhen，forSpunkhadtobeprovidedwithsleepingquarters;anditwasnotwithoutsomehesitationthatBillyfinallyplacedthekitteninthereluctanthandsofPete，whohadbeenhastilysummoned.ThensheturnedandfollowedMrs.
Hartwellup—stairs.
Itseemedtothethreemeninthedrawing—roomthatalmostimmediatelycamethepiercingshriek，andtheexcitedvoiceoftheirsisterinexpostulation.Withoutwaitingformoretheyleapedtothestairwayandhurriedup，twostepsatatime.
"Forheaven’ssake，Kate，whatisit？"pantedWilliam，whohadbeenoutdistancedbyhismoreagilebrothers.
Katewasonherfeet，herfacethepictureofdistressedamazement.
InthelowchairbythewindowBillysatwhereshehadflungherself，herhandsoverherface.Hershoulderswereshaking，andfromherthroatcamechokinglittlecries.
"Idon’tknow，"quaveredKate."Ihaven’ttheleastidea.Shewasallrighttillshegotup—stairshere，andIturnedonthelights.
Thenshegaveoneshriekand——youknowallIknow."
Williamadvancedhurriedly.
"Billy，whatisthematter？Whatareyoucryingfor？"hedemanded.
Billydroppedherhandsthen，andtheysawherface.Shewasnotcrying.Shewaslaughing.Shewaslaughingsoshecouldscarcelyspeak.
"Oh，youdid，youdid！"shegurgled."Ithoughtyoudid，andnowI
know！"
"Didwhat？Whatdoyoumean？"William’susuallygentlevoicewassharp.EvenWilliam’snerveswerebeginningtofeelthestrainofthelastfewhours.
"ThoughtIwasa——b—boy！"chokedBilly."Youcalledme’he’onceinthestation——Ithoughtyoudid;butIwasn’tsure——nottillI
sawthisroom.ButnowIknow——Iknow！"Andoffshewentintoanotherhystericalgaleoflaughter——Billy’snerves，too，werebeginningtorespondtotheexcitementofthelastfewhours.
Astothethreemenandthewoman，theystoodsilent，helpless，lookingintoeachother’sfaceswithdespairingeyes.
InamomentBillywasonherfeet，flutteringabouttheroom，touchingthisthing，lookingatthat.Nothingescapedher.
"I’mtofish——andshoot——andfence！"shecrowed."And，oh！——lookatthoseknives！U—ugh！And，my！whatarethese？"shecried，pouncingontheIndianclubs."Andlookatthespiders！
Dear，dear，IAMgladthey’redead，anyhow，"sheshudderedwithanervouslaughthatwasalmostasob.
SomethinginBilly’svoicestirredMrs.Hartwelltosuddenaction.
"Come，come，thiswillneverdo，"sheprotestedauthoritatively，motioningherbrotherstoleavetheroom."Billyisquitetiredout，andneedsrest.Shemustn’ttalkanotherbitto—night."
"Ofc—coursenot，"stammeredWilliam.Andonlytoogladofanexcusetowithdrawfromaveryembarrassingsituation，thethreemencalledbackafalteringgood—night，andprecipitatelyfleddown—stairs.
CHAPTERIX
AFAMILYCONCLAVE
"Well，William，"greetedKate，grimly，whenshecameintothedrawing—room，afterputtingherchargetobed，"haveyouhadenough，now？"
"’Enough’！Whatdoyoumean？"
Kateraisedhereyebrows.
"Why，surely，you’renotthinkingNOWthatyoucankeepthisgirlhere;areyou？"
"Idon’tknowwhynot."
"William！"
"Well，whereshallshego？Willyoutakeher？"
"I？Certainlynot，"declaredKate，withdecision."I’msureIseenoreasonwhyIshould."
"NomoredoIseewhyWilliamshould，either，"cutinCyril.
"Oh，come，what’stheuse，"interposedBertram."Letherstay.
She’sanicelittlething，I’msure."
CyrilandKateturnedsharply.
"Bertram！"Thecrywasaduetofangryamazement.ThenKateadded："Itseemsthatyou，too，havecomeundertheswayofdarkeyes，pinkcheeks，andanunknownquantityofcurlyhair！"
Bertramlaughed.
"Oh，well，shewouldbeniceto——er——paint，"hemurmured.
"Seehere，children，"demurredWilliam，alittlesternly，"allthisiswastingtime.Thereisnowayoutofit.Iwouldn’tbeseenturningthathomelesschildawaynow.Wemustkeepher;that’ssettled.Thequestionis，howshallitbedone？Wemusthavesomewomanfriendheretobehercompanion，ofcourse;butwhomshallweget？"
Katesighed，andlookedherdismay.BertramthrewaglanceintoCyril’seyes，andmadeanexpressivegesture.
"Yousee，"itseemedtosay."Itoldyouhowitwouldbe！"
"Nowwhomshallweget？"questionedWilliamagain."Wemustthink."
UnattachedgentlewomenofsuitableageanddesirabletemperdidnotprovetobesonumerousamongtheHenshaws’acquaintances，however，astomaketheselectionofachaperonveryeasy.Severalwerethoughtofandsuggested;butineachcasethecandidatewasfoundtopossessoneormorecharacteristicsthatmadetheideaofherpresenceutterlyabhorrenttosomeoneofthebrothers.AtlastWilliamexpostulated：
"Seehere，boys，wearen’tanynearerasettlementthanwewereinthefirstplace.Thereisn’tanywoman，ofcourse，whowouldexactlysuitallofus;andsoweshalljusthavetobewillingtotakesomeonewhodoesn’t."
"Thetroubleis，"explainedBertram，airily，"wewantsomeonewhowillbeinvisibletoeveryoneexcepttheworldandBilly，andwhowillbeinaudiblealways."
"Idon’tknowbutyouareright，"sighedWilliam."ButsupposewesettleonAuntHannah.Sheseemstobetheleastobjectionableofthelot，andIthinkshe’dcome.She’saloneintheworld，andI
believethecomfortableroominessofthishousewouldbeverygratefultoheraftertheinconvenienceofherstuffylittleroomoverattheBackBay."
"Youbetitwould！"murmuredBertram，feelingly;butWilliamdidnotappeartohearhim.
"She’samiable，fairlysensible，andalwaysalady，"hewenton;
"andto—morrowmorningIbelieveI’llrunoverandseeifshecan’tcomerightaway."
"AndmayIaskwhich——er——stratumshe——they——willoccupy？"smiledBertram.
"Youmayask，butI’mafraidyouwon’tfindoutverysoon，"
retortedWilliam，dryly，"ifwetakeaslongtodecidethatmatteraswehavetherestofit."
"Er——Cyrilhasthemost——UNOCCUPIEDspace，"volunteeredBertram，cheerfully.
"Indeed！"retaliatedCyril."Supposeyouletmespeakformyself！
Ofcourse，sofarastruckisconcerned，I’mnotinitwithyouandWill.ButasfortheUSEIputmyroomsto——！Besides，IalreadyhavePetethere，andwouldhaveDongLingprobably，ifheslepthere.However，ifyouwantanyofmyrooms，don’tletmypettywantsandwishesinterfere——"
"No，no，"interruptedWilliam，inquickconciliation."Wedon’twantyourrooms，Cyril.AuntHannahabhorsstairs.OfcourseI
mightmove，Isuppose.Myroomsareoneflightless;butifIonlydidn’thavesomanythings！"
"Oh，youmen！"shruggedKate，wearily."Whydon’tyouaskmyopinionsometimes？Itseemstomethatinthiscaseawoman’switmightbeofsomehelp！"
"Allright，goahead！"noddedWilliam.
Kateleanedforwardeagerly——Katelovedto"manage."
"Goeasy，now，"cautionedBertram，warily."Youknowastrata，evenoneassolidasours，won’tstandtoomuchofanearthquake！"
"Itisn’tanearthquakeatall，"sniffedKate."It’saverysensiblemoveallaround.Herearethesetwogreatdrawing—rooms，thelibrary，andthelittlereception—roomacrossthehall，andnotoneofthemiseverusedbutthis.Ofcoursethewomenwouldn’tliketosleepdownhere，butwhydon’tyou，Bertram，takethebackdrawing—room，thelibrary，andthelittlereception—roomforyours，andleavethewholeofthesecondfloorforBillyandAuntHannah？"
"Goodforyou，Kate，"criedBertram，appreciatively."You’vehititsquareonthehead，andwe’lldoit.I’llmoveto—morrow.Thelightdownhereisjustasgoodasitisup—stairs——ifyouletitin！"
"Thankyou，Bertram，andyou，too，Kate，"breathedWilliam，fervently."Now，ifyoudon’tmind，IbelieveI’llgotobed.I
amtired！"
CHAPTERX
AUNTHANNAH
AssoonaspossibleafterbreakfastWilliamwenttoseeAuntHannah.
HannahStetsonwasnotreallyWilliam’saunt，thoughshehadbeencalledAuntHannahforyears.Shewasthewidowofadistantcousin，andshelivedinasnuglittleroominaBackBayboarding—
house.Shewasaslender，white—hairedwomanwithkindblueeyes，andalovablesmile.Hercheekswerestillfaintlypink，andherfinesilver—whitehairbrokeintolittlekinksandcurlsaboutherears.AccordingtoBertramshealwaysmadeonethinkof"lavenderandoldlace."
ShewelcomedWilliamcordiallythismorning，thoughwithfaintsurpriseinhereyes.
"Yes，IknowI’manearlycaller，andanunexpectedone，"beganWilliam，hurriedly."AndIshallhavetoplungestraightintothematter，too，forthereisn’ttimetopreamble.I’vetakenaneighteen—year—oldgirltobringup，AuntHannah，andIwantyoutocomedownandlivewithustochaperonher."
"Mygriefandconscience，WILLIAM！"gaspedthelittlewoman，agitatedly.
"Yes，yes，Iknow，AuntHannah，everythingyouwouldsayifyoucould.Butpleaseskipthehysterics.We’veallhadthem，andKatehasalreadyusedeverypossibleadjectivethatyoucouldthinkup.Nowit’sjustthis."AndhehurriedlygaveMrs.Stetsonafullaccountofthecase，andtoldherplainlywhathehopedandexpectedthatshewoulddoforhim.
"Why，yes，ofcourse——I’llcome，"acquiescedthelady，alittlebreathlessly，"if——ifyouaresureyou’regoingto——keepher."
"Good！AndrememberIsaid’now，’please——thatIwantedyoutocomerightaway，to—day.OfcourseKatecan’tstay.Justgetinhalfadozenwomentohelpyoupack，andcome."
"Halfadozenwomeninthatlittleroom，William——impossible！"
"Well，Ionlymeanttogetenoughsoyoucouldcomerightoffthismorning."
"ButIdon’tneedthem，William.Thereareonlymyclothesandbooks，andsuchthings.YouknowitisaFURNISHEDroom."
"Allright，allright，AuntHannah.Iwantedtomakesureyouhurried，that’sall.Yousee，Idon’twantBillytosuspectjusthowmuchshe’supsettingus.I’veaskedKatetotakeherovertoherhousefortheday，whileBertramismovingdown—stairs，andwhilewe’regettingyousettled.I——Ithinkyou’lllikeitthere，AuntHannah，"addedWilliam，anxiously."OfcourseBilly’sgotSpunk，but——"hehesitated，andsmiledalittle.
"Gotwhat？"falteredtheother.
"Spunk.Oh，Idon’tmeanTHATkind，"laughedWilliam，inanswertothedismayedexpressiononhisaunt’sface."Spunkisacat."
"Acat！——butsuchaname，William！I——Ithinkwe’llchangethat."
"Eh？Oh，youdo，"murmuredWilliam，withacurioussmile."Verywell;bethatasitmay.Anyhow，you’recoming，andweshallwantyouallsettledbydinnertime，"hefinished，ashepickeduphishattogo.
WithKate，BillyspentthelongdayverycontentedlyinKate’sbeautifulCommonwealthAvenuehome.Thetwoboys，Paul，twelveyearsold，andEgbert，eight，werealittleshy，itistrue，andnotreallyofmuchuseascompanions;buttherewasalittleKate，fouryearsold，whoprovedtobewonderfullyentertaining.
Billywasnotmuchusedtochildren，andshefoundthisfour—year—
oldatomofhumanitytobeagreatsourceofinterestandamusement.SheeventoldMrs.HartwellatpartingthatlittleKatewasalmostasniceasSpunk——whichremark，oddlyenough，didnotappeartopleaseMrs.HartwelltotheextentthatBillythoughtthatitwould.
AttheBeaconStreethouseBillywaspresentedatoncetoMrs.
Stetson.
"Andyouaretocallme’AuntHannah，’mydear，"saidthelittlewoman，graciously，"justastheboysdo."
"Thankyou，"dimpledBilly，"andyoudon’tknow，AuntHannah，howgooditseemstometocomeintosomanyrelatives，allatonce！"
Upongoingup—stairsBillyfoundherroomsomewhatchanged.Itwasfarlesswarlike，andthecaseofspidershadbeentakenaway.
"Andthiswillbeyourstratum，youknow，"announcedBertramfromthestairway，"yoursandAuntHannah’s.You’retohavethiswholefloor.WillandCyrilareabove，andI’mdown—stairs."
"Youare？Why，Ithoughtyou——were——here."Billy’sfacewaspuzzled.
"Here？Oh，well，Ididhave——somethingshere，"heretortedairily;"butItookthemallawayto—day.Yousee，mystratumisdown—stairs，anditdoesn’tdotomixthelayers.Bytheway，youhaven’tbeenup—stairsyet;haveyou？Comeon，andI’llshowyou——
andyou，too，AuntHannah."
Billyclappedherhands;butAuntHannahshookherhead.
"I’llleavethatforyoungerfeetthanmine，"shesaid;addingwhimsically："It’sbestsometimesthatonedoesn’ttrytosteptoofaroffone’sownlevel，youknow."
"Allright，"laughedtheman."Comeon，MissBilly."
Onthedoorattheheadofthestairshetappedtwice，lightly.
"Well，Pete，"calledCyril’svoice，nonetoocordially.
"Pete，indeed！"scoffedBertram."You’vegotcompany，youngman.
Openthedoor.MissBillyisviewingtheStrata."
Thebarefloorechoedtoaquicktread，thenthedooropenedandCyrilfacedthemwithaforcedsmileonhislips.
"Comein——thoughIfeartherewillbelittle——tosee，"hesaid.
Bertramassumedapompousattitude.
"Ladiesandgentlemen;youbeholdherethelioninhislair."
"Bestill，Bertram，"orderedCyril.
"Heisalion，really，"confidedBertram，inalowervoice;"butasheprefersit，we’lljustcallhim’theMusicalMan.’"
"IshouldthinkIwassomesortofmusic—boxthatturnedwithacrank，"bristledCyril.
Bertramgrinned.
"A——CRANK，didyousay？Well，evenIwouldn’thavequitedaredtosaythat，youknow！"
WithanimpatientgestureCyrilturnedonhisheel.Bertramfelloncemoreintohispompousattitude.
"BeforeyouistheMan’sworkshop，"heorated."Atyourrightyouseehisinstrumentsoftor——Imean，hisinstruments：apiano，flute，etc.Atyourleftisthedeskwithitspens，paper，erasers，inkandpostagestamps.Imentionthesebecausethereare——er——sofewthingstomentionhere.Beyond，throughtheopendoor，onemaycatchglimpsesofstillotherrooms;buttheyholdevenlessthanthisoneholds.Traditiondothassert，however，thatinoneisacouch—bed，andinanother，twochairs."
Billylistenedsilently.Hereyeswerequestioning.ShewasnotquitesurehowtotakeBertram’swords;andthebareroomsandtheirstern—facedmasterfilledherwithavaguepity.ButthepausethatfollowedBertram’snonsenseseemedtobewaitingforhertofillit.
"Oh，Ishouldliketohearyou——play，Mr.Cyril，"shestammered.
Then，gatheringcourage."CANyouplay’TheMaiden’sPrayer’？"
Bertramgaveacough，aspasmodiccoughthatsenthim，red—faced，outintothehall.Fromtherehecalled：
"Can’tstopfortheanimalstoperform，MissBilly.It’s’mostdinnertime，andwe’vegotlotstoseeyet."
"Allright;but——sometime，"noddedBillyoverhershouldertoCyrilassheturnedaway."Ijustlovethat’Maiden’sPrayer’！"
"NowthisisWilliam’sstratum，"announcedBertramatthefootofthestairs."Youwillperceivethatthereisnoknockinghere;
William’sdoorsarealwaysopen."
"Byallmeans！Comein——comein，"calledWilliam’scheeryvoice.
"Oh，my，whatalotofthings！"exclaimedBilly."My——my——whatalotofthings！HowSpunkwilllikethisroom！"
Bertramchuckled;thenhemadeagreatdisplayofdrawingalongbreath.
"Intheshorttimeatourdisposal，"hebeganloftily，"itwillbeimpossibletopointouteachparticulararticleandgiveitshistoryfromthebeginning;butsomewhereyouwillfindfourroundwhitestones，which——"
"Er——yes，weknowallaboutthosewhitestones，"interruptedWilliam，"andyou’llpleaseletmetalkaboutmyownthingsmyself！"Andhebeamedbenevolentlyonthewondering—eyedgirlatBertram’sside.
"Buttherearesomany！"breathedBilly.
"Allthemorechancethen，"smiledWilliam，"thatsomewhereamongthemyou’llfindsomethingtointerestyou.NowtheseChineseceramics，andthesebronzes——maybeyou’dlikethose，"hesuggested.
Andwitharesignedsighandanexaggeratedairofsubmission，Bertramsteppedbackandgavewaytohisbrother.
"Andtherearetheseminiatures，andtheseJapaneseporcelains.Orperhapsyou’dlikestamps，ortheatreprogramsbetter，"Williamfinishedanxiously.
Billydidnotreply.Shewasturningroundandround，hereyeswideandamazed.Suddenlyshepouncedonabeautifullydecoratedteapot，andhelditupinadmiringhands.
"Oh，whataprettyteapot！Andwhatacutelittleplateitsetsin！"shecried.
Thecollectorfairlybubbledoverwithjoy.
"That’saLowestoft——arealLowestoft！"hecrowed."Notthathard—
pastestufffromtheOrientthat’sCALLEDLowestoft，buttherealthing——English，youknow.Andthat’sthetraythatgoeswithit，too.Wonderful——howIgotthemboth！Youknowthey’mostalwaysgetseparated.Ipaidacoolhundredforthem，anyhow."
"Ahundreddollarsforateapot！"gaspedBilly.
"Yes;andhere’sanicelittlepieceoflustre—ware.Pretty——isn’tit？Andthere’safinebitofblackbasalt.And——"
"Er——Will，"interposedBertram，meekly.
"Oh，andhere’saCastleford，"criedWilliam，payingnoattentiontotheinterruption."Marked，too;see？’D.D.&Co.，Castleford.’
Youknowthereisn’tmuchofthatwaremarked.Thisisabeauty，too，Ithink.Youseethispittedsurface——theymadethatwithtinylittlepointssetintotheinnersideofthemold.Thedesignstandsoutfineonthis.It’soneofthebestIeversaw.And，oh——"
"Er——William，"interposedBertramagain，alittlelouderthistime.
"MayIjustsay——"
"Anddidyounoticethis’OldBlue’？"hurriedonWilliam，eagerly.
"Lidsetsdownin，yousee——that’solderthanthekindwhereitsetsoverthetop.Nowhere’sone——"
"William，"almostshoutedBertram，"DINNERISREADY！Petehassoundedthegongtwicealready！"
"Eh？Oh，sureenough——sureenough，"acknowledgedWilliam，witharegretfulglanceathistreasures."Well，wemustgo，wemustgo."
"ButIhaven’tseenyourstratumatall，"demurredBillytoherguide，astheywentdownthestairway.
"Thenthere’ssomethingleftforto—morrow，"promisedBertram;"butyoumustremember，Ihaven’tgotanybeautiful’OldBlues’and’blackbasalts，’tosaynothingofstampsandbaggagetags.ButI’llmakeyousometea——somerealtea——andthat’smorethanWilliamhasdone，withallhishundredandoneteapots！"
CHAPTERXI
BERTRAMHASVISITORS
Spunkdidnotchangehisname;butthatwasperhapstheonlythingthatdidnotmeetwithsomesortofchangeduringtheweeksthatimmediatelyfollowedBilly’sarrival.Givenahouse，fivemen，andanironboundroutineoflife，anditisscarcelynecessarytosaythattheadventofasomewhatfussyelderlywoman，animpulsiveyounggirl，andavery—much—alivesmallcatwillmakesomedifference.AstoSpunk’sname——itwasnotMrs.Stetson’sfaultthateventhatwasleftundisturbed.
Mrs.StetsonearlybecameacquaintedwithSpunk.Shewasintroducedtohim，indeed，onthenightofherarrival——thoughfortunatelynotattable：WilliamhadseentoitthatSpunkdidnotappearatdinner，thoughtoaccomplishthisthemanhadbeenobligedtofacetheamazedandgrievedindignationofthekitten’smistress.
"ButIdon’tseehowanyoneCANobjecttoanicecleanlittlecatatthetable，"Billyhadremonstratedtearfully.
"Iknow;but——er——theydo，sometimes，"Williamhadstammered;"andthisisoneofthetimes.AuntHannahwouldneverstandforit——
never！"
"Oh，butshedoesn’tknowSpunk，"Billyhadobservedthen，hopefully."Youjustwaituntilsheknowshim."
Mrs.Stetsonbeganto"know"Spunkthenextday.TheimmediatesourceofherknowledgewasthediscoverythatSpunkhadfoundherballofblackknittingyarn，andhaddelightedlycapturedit.Notthathewascontenttoletitremainwhereitwas——indeed，no.Herolleditdownthestairs，batteditthroughthehalltothedrawing—room，andthenproceededto’chasse’withitinandoutamongthelegsofvariouschairsandtables，endinginonegrandwhirlthatwoundtheyarnroundandroundhissmallbody，andkeeledhimoverhalfuponhisback.Thereheblissfullywenttosleep.
Billyfoundhimafteragleefulfollowingoftheslenderwoollentrail.Mrs.Stetsonwaswithher——butshewasnotgleeful.
"Oh，AuntHannah，AuntHannah，"gurgledBilly，"isn’thejusttoocuteforanything？"
AuntHannahshookherhead.
"ImustconfessIdon’tseeit，"shedeclared."Mydear，justlookatthathopelesssnarl！"
"Oh，butitisn’thopelessatall，"laughedBilly."It’slikeoneofthosestringstheyunwindatpartieswithapresentattheendofit.AndSpunkisthepresent，"sheadded，whenshehadextricatedthesmallgraycat."Andyoushallholdhim，"shefinished，graciouslyentrustingthesleepykittentoMrs.Stetson’sunwillingarms.
"But，I——it——Ican’t——Billy！Idon’tlikethatname，"blurtedouttheindignantlittleladywithasmuchwarmthassheeverallowedherselftoshow."Itmustbechangedto——to’Thomas.’"
"Changed？Spunk’snamechanged？"demandedBilly，inahorrifiedvoice."Why，AuntHannah，itcan’tbechanged;it’sHIS，youknow."Thenshelaughedmerrily."’Thomas，’indeed！Why，youolddear！——justsupposeIshouldaskYOUtochangeyourname！Now_I_
like’HelenClarabella’lotsbetterthan’Hannah，’butI’mnotgoingtoaskyoutochangethat——andI’mgoingtoloveyoujustaswell，evenifyouare’Hannah’——seeifIdon’t！Andyou’llloveSpunk，too，I’msureyouwill.Nowwatchmefindtheendofthissnarl！"Andshedancedovertothedumbfoundedlittleladyinthebigchair，gaveheranaffectionatekiss，andthenattackedthetangledmassofblackwithskilfulfingers.
"But，I——you——oh，mygriefandconscience！"finishedthelittlewomanwhosenamewasnotHelenClarabella.——"Oh，mygriefandconscience，"accordingtoBertram，wasAuntHannah’sdeadliestswear—word.
InAuntHannah’sblacksilklapSpunkstretchedluxuriously，andblinkedsleepyeyes;thenwithalongpurrofcontenthecurledhimselfforanothernap——stillSpunk.
ItwassometimeafterluncheonthatdaythatBertramheardaknockathisstudiodoor.Bertramwasbusy.Hisparticularpet"FaceofaGirl"wastobesubmittedsoontothejudgesofaforthcomingArtExhibition，anditwasnotyetfinished.Hewastryingtomakeupnowforthemanyhourslostduringthelastfewdays;andevenBertram，attimes，didnotlikeinterruptions.Hismodelhadgone，buthewasstillworkingrapidlywhentheknockcame.Histonewasnotquitecordialwhenheanswered.
"Well？"
"It’sI——SpunkandI.Maywecomein？"calledaconfidentvoice.
Bertramsaidasharpwordbehindhisteeth——butheopenedthedoor.
"Ofcourse！Iwas——painting，"heannounced.
"Howlovely！AndI’llwatchyou.Oh，my——whataprettyroom！"
"I’mgladyoulikeit."
"IndeedIdo;Ilikeiteversomuch.Ishallstayherelots，I
know."
"Oh，you——will！"ForonceevenBertram’sreadytonguefailedtofindfittingresponse.
"Yes.Nowpaint.Iwanttoseeyou.AuntHannahhasgoneoutanyway，andI’mlonesome.IthinkI’llstay."
"ButIcan’t——thatis，I’mnotusedtospectators."
"Ofcourseyouaren’t，youpooroldlonesomeness！Butitisn’tgoingtobethatway，anymore，youknow，nowthatI’vecome.I
sha’n’tletyoubelonesome."
"Icouldsweartothat，"declaredtheman，withsuddenfervor;andforBilly’speaceofminditwasjustaswell，perhaps，thatshedidnotknowtheexactsourceofthatfervency.
"Nowpaint，"commandedBillyagain.
Becausehedidnotknowwhatelsetodo，Bertrampickedupabrush;
buthedidnotpaint.ThefirststrokeofhisbrushagainstthecanvaswastoSpunkachallenge;andSpunkneverrefusedachallenge.WithaboundhewasonBertram’sknee，gleefulpawoutstretched，battingattheendofthebrush.
"Tut，tut——no，no——naughtySpunk！Say，butwasn’tthatcute？"
chuckledBilly."Doitagain！"
Theartistgaveanexasperatedsigh.
"Mydeargirl，"heprotested，"cruelasitmayseemtoyou，thispictureisnotakindergartengamefortheedificationofsmallcats.ImustpolitelyaskSpunktodesist."
"Buthewon’t！"laughedBilly."Nevermind;wewilltakeitsomedaywhenhe’sasleep.Let’snotpaintanymore，anyhow.I’vecometoseeyourrooms."Andshesprangblithelytoherfeet."Dear，dear，whatalotoffaces！——andallgirls，too！Howfunny！Whydon’tyoupaintotherthings？Still，theyarerathernice."
"Thankyou，"acceptedBertram;dryly.
Bertramdidnotpaintanymorethatafternoon.Billyfoundmuchtointeresther，andsheaskednumberlessquestions.Shewasgreatlyexcitedwhensheunderstoodthefullsignificanceoftheomnipresent"FaceofaGirl";andshegraciouslyofferedtoposeherselffortheartist.Shespent，indeed，quitehalfanhourturningherheadfromsidetoside，anddemanding"Nowhow’sthat？——
andthat？"Tiringatlastofthis，shesuggestedSpunkasasubstitute，remarkingthat，afterall，cats——prettycatslikeSpunk——wereevennicertopaintthangirls.
SherescuedSpunkthenfromthepaint—boxwherehehadbeenholdinghighcarnivalwithBertram’stubesofpaint，anddemandedifBertrameversawamoredelightful，moreentrancing，morealtogether—to—be—desiredmodel.Shewassoartless，somerry，sofranklycharmedwithitallthatBertramcouldnotfinditinhishearttobeangry，notwithstandinghisannoyance.Butwhenatfouro’clock，shetookherselfandhercatcheerilyup—stairs，heliftedhishandsindespair.
"GreatScott！"hegroaned."Ifthisisasampleofwhat’scoming——
I’mGOING，that’sall！"
CHAPTERXII
CYRILTAKESHISTURN
BillyhadbeenamemberoftheBeaconStreethouseholdaweekbeforesherepeatedhervisittoCyrilatthetopofthehouse.
ThistimeBertramwasnotwithher.Shewentalone.EvenSpunkwasleftbehind——Billyrememberedherprospectivehost’saversiontocats.
BillydidnotfeelthatsheknewCyrilverywell.Shehadtriedseveraltimestochatwithhim;butshehadmadesolittleheadway，thatshefinallycametotheconclusion——privatelyexpressedtoBertram——thatMr.Cyrilwasbashful.Bertramhadonlylaughed.HehadlaughedtheharderbecauseatthatmomenthecouldhearCyrilpoundingouthisangryannoyanceonthepianoupstairs——CyrilhadjustescapedfromoneofBilly’smostdetermined"attempts，"andBertramknewit.Bertram’slaughhadpuzzledBilly——andithadnotquitepleasedher.Henceto—dayshedidnottellhimofherplantogoup—stairsandseewhatshecoulddoherself，alone，tocombatthis"foolishbashfulness"onthepartofMr.CyrilHenshaw.
Inspiteofherbravery，BillywaitedquiteonewholeminuteatthetopofthestairsbeforeshehadthecouragetoknockatCyril’sdoor.
Thedoorwasopenedatonce.
"Why——Billy！"criedthemaninsurprise.
"Yes，it’sBilly.I——Icameupto——togetacquainted，"shesmiledwinningly.
"Why，er——youareverykind.Willyou——comein？"
"Thankyou;yes.Yousee，Ididn’tbringSpunk.I——remembered."
Cyrilbowedgravely.
"Youareverykind——again，"hesaid.
Billyfidgetedinherchair.Tohermindshewasnot"gettingon"
atall.Shedeterminedonaboldstroke.
"Yousee，Ithoughtif——ifIshouldcomeuphere，wheretherewouldn’tbesomanyaround，wemightgetacquainted，"sheconfided;
"thenIwouldgettolikeyoujustaswellasIdotheothers."
Attheoddlookthatcameintotheman’sface，thegirlrealizedsuddenlywhatshehadsaid.Hercheeksflushedaconfusedred.
"Oh，dear！Thatis，Imean——Ilikeyou，ofcourse，"sheflounderedmiserably;thenshebrokeoffwithafranklaugh."There！youseeInevercouldgetoutofanything.Imightaswellownrightup.
IDON’TlikeyouaswellasIdoUncleWilliamandMr.Bertram.Sothere！"
Cyrillaughed.ForthefirsttimesincehehadseenBilly，somethingthatwasverylikeinterestcameintohiseyes.
"Oh，youdon’t，"heretorted."Nowthatis——er——veryUNkindofyou."
Billyshookherhead.
"Youdon’tsaythatasifyoumeantit，"sheaccusedhim，hereyesgravelystudyinghisface."NowI’Minearnest._I_reallywanttolikeYOU！"
"Thankyou.Thenperhapsyouwon’tmindtellingmewhyyoudon’tlikeme，"hesuggested.
AgainBillyflushed.
"Why，I——Ijustdon’t;that’sall，"shefaltered.Thenshecriedaggrievedly："There，now！you’vemademebeimpolite;andIdidn’tmeantobe，truly."
"Ofcoursenot，"assentedtheman;"anditwasn’timpolite，becauseIaskedyoufortheinformation，youknow.Imayconcludethen，"
hewentonwithanoddtwinkleinhiseyes，"thatIammerelyclassedwithtripeandrainydays."
"With——wha—at？"
"Tripeandrainydays.Thosearetheonlythings，ifIrememberrightly，thatyoudon’tlike."
Thegirlstared;thenshechuckled.
"There！IknewI’dlikeyoubetterifyou’donlySAYsomething，"
shebeamed."Butlet’snottalkanymoreaboutthat.Playtome;
won’tyou？Youknowyoupromisedme’TheMaiden’sPrayer.’"
Cyrilstiffened.
"Pardonme，butyoumustbemistaken，"herepliedcoldly."Idonotplay’TheMaiden’sPrayer.’"
"Oh，whatashame！AndIdosoloveit！Butyouplayotherthings;I’veheardyoualittle，andMr.Bertramsaysyoudo——inconcertsandthings."
"Doeshe？"murmuredCyril，withaslightliftingofhiseyebrows.
"There！Nowoffyougoagainallsilentandhorrid！"chaffedBilly."WhathaveIsaidnow？Mr.Cyril——doyouknowwhatI
think？Ibelieveyou’vegotNERVES！"Billy’svoicewassotragicthatthemancouldbutlaugh.
"PerhapsIhave，MissBilly."
"LikeMissLetty’s？"
"I’mnotacquaintedwiththelady."
"Gee！wouldn’tyoutwomakeapair！"chuckledBillyunexpectedly.
"No;but，really，Imean——doyouwantpeopletowalkontiptoeandspeakinwhispers？"
"Sometimes，perhaps."
Thegirlsprangtoherfeet——butshesighed.
"ThenI’mgoing.Thismightbeoneofthetimes，youknow."Shehesitated，thenwalkedtothepiano."My，wouldn’tIliketoplayonthat！"shebreathed.
Cyrilshuddered.CyrilcouldimaginewhatBillywouldplay——andCyrildidnotlike"rag—time，"nor"TheStorm."
"Oh，doyouplay？"heaskedconstrainedly.
Billyshookherhead.
"Notmuch.Onlylittlebitsofthings，youknow，"shesaidwistfully，assheturnedtowardthedoor.
Forsomeminutesaftershehadgone，Cyrilstoodwhereshehadlefthim，hiseyesmoodyandtroubled.
"IsupposeImighthaveplayed——something，"hemutteredatlast;
"but——’TheMaiden’sPrayer’！——goodheavens！"
BillywasalittleshywithCyrilwhenhecamedowntodinnerthatnight.Forthenextfewdays，indeed，sheheldherselfveryobviouslyalooffromhim.Cyrilcaughthimselfwonderingonceifshewereafraidofhis"nerves."Hedidnottrytofindout，however;hewastooemphaticallycontentthatofherownaccordsheseemedtobeleavinghiminpeace.
ItmusthavebeenaweekafterBilly’svisittothetopofthehousethatCyrilstoppedhisplayingveryabruptlyoneday，andopenedhisdoortogodown—stairs.Atthefirststephestartedbackinamazement.
"Why，Billy！"heejaculated.
Thegirlwassittingverynearthetopofthestairway.Athisappearanceshegottoherfeetshamefacedly.
"Why，Billy，whatintheworldareyoudoingthere？"
"Listening."
"Listening！"
"Yes.Doyoumind？"
Themandidnotanswer.Hewastoosurprisedtofindwordsatonce，andhewastryingtorecollectwhathehadbeenplaying.
"Yousee，listeningtomusicthiswayisn’tlikelisteningto——totalking，"hurriedonBilly，feverishly."Itisn’tsneakinglikethat;isit？"
"Why——no."
"Andyoudon’tmind？"
"Why，surely，Ioughtnottomind——that，"headmitted.
"ThenIcankeeprightonasIhavedone.Thankyou，"sighedBilly，inrelief.
"Keeprighton！Haveyoubeenherebefore？"
"Why，yes，lotsofdays.And，say，Mr.Cyril，whatisthat——thatthingthat’sallchordswithbigbassnotesthatkeepsayingsomethingsofineandsplendidthatitmarchesonandon，gettingbiggerandgrander，justasiftherecouldn’tanythingstopit，untilitallendsinonegreatburstoftriumph？Mr.Cyril，whatisthat？"
"Why，Billy！"——theinterestthistimeintheman’sfacewasnotfaint——"IwishImightmakeotherscatchmymeaningasIhaveevidentlymadeyoudoit！That’ssomethingofmyown——thatI’mwriting，youunderstand;andI’vetriedtosay——justwhatyousayyouheard."
"AndIdidhearit——Idid！Oh，won’tyouplayit，please，withthedooropen？"
"Ican’t，Billy.I’msorry，indeedIam.ButI’veanappointment，andI’mlatenow.Youshallhearit，though，Ipromiseyou，andwiththedoorwideopen，"continuedtheman，as，withamurmuredapology，hepassedthegirlandhurrieddownthestairs.
Billywaiteduntilsheheardtheouterhalldoorshut;thenverysoftlyshecreptthroughCyril’sopendoorway，andcrossedtheroomtothepiano.
CHAPTERXIII
ASURPRISEALLAROUND
Maycame，andwithitwarmsunnydays.Therewasalittlebalconyattherearofthesecondfloor，andonthisMrs.StetsonandBillysatmanyamorningandsewed.TherewereoccupationsthatBillylikedbetterthansewing;butshewasdutiful，andshewasreallyfondofAuntHannah;sosheacceptedasgracefullyaspossiblethatgoodlady’sdictumthatawomanwhocouldnotsew，andsewwell，wasnoladyatall.
OneofthethingsthatBillylikedtodosomuchbetterthantosewwastoplayonCyril’spiano.Shewasverycareful，however，thatMr.Cyrilhimselfdidnotfindthisout.Cyrilwasfrequentlygonefromthehouse，andalmostasfrequentlyAuntHannahtooknaps.Atsuchtimesitwasveryeasytoslipup—stairstoCyril’srooms，andonceatthepiano，Billyforgoteverythingelse.
Oneday，however，theinevitablehappened：Cyrilcamehomeunexpectedly.ThemanheardthepianofromWilliam’sfloor，andwithasurprisedejaculationhehurriedupstairstwostepsatatime.Atthedoorhestoppedinamazement.
Billywasatthepiano，butshewasnotplaying"rag—time，""TheStorm，"noryet"TheMaiden’sPrayer."Therewasnomusicbeforeher，butunderherfingers"bigbassnotes"verymuchlikeCyril’sown，weremarchingonandontovictory.Billy’sfacewasrapturouslyintentandhappy.
"ByJove——Billy！"gaspedtheman.
Billyleapedtoherfeetandwhirledaroundguiltily.
"Oh，Mr.Cyril——I’msosorry！"
"Sorry！——andyouplaylikethat！"
"No，no;I’mnotsorryIplayed.It’sbecauseyou——foundme."
Billy’scheekswereashamedred，buthereyesweredefiantlybrilliant，andherchinwasatarebellioustilt."Iwasn’tdoingany——harm;notifyouweren’there——withyourNERVES！"
Themanlaughedandcameslowlyintotheroom.
"Billy，whotaughtyoutoplay？"
"Noone.Ican’tplay.IcanonlypickoutlittlebitsofthingsinC."
"Butyoudoplay.Ijustheardyou."
Billyshruggedhershoulders.
"Thatwasnothing.ItwasonlywhatIhadheard.Iwastryingtomakeitsoundlike——yours."
"And，byGeorge！yousucceeded，"mutteredCyrilunderhisbreath;
thenaloudheasked："Didn’tyoueverstudymusic？"
Billy’seyesdimmed.
"No.ThatwastheonlythingAuntEllaandIdidn’tthinkalikeabout.Shehadanoldsquarepiano，alltin—pannyandthin，youknow.Iplayedsomeonit，andwantedtotakelessons;butI
didn’twanttopractiseonthat.Iwantedanewone.That’swhatshewouldn’tdo——getmeanewpiano，orletmedoit.ShesaidSHE
practisedonthatpiano，andthatitwasquitegoodenoughforme，especiallytolearnon.I——I’mafraidIgotstuffy.Ihatedthatpianoso！ButIwasalmostreadytogiveinwhen——whenAuntElladied."
"Andallyouplaythenisjustbyear？"
"By——ear？Isupposeso——ifyoumeanwhatIhear.EasythingsI
canplayquick，but——butthosechordsAREhard;theyskiparoundso！"
Cyrilsmiledoddly.
"Ishouldsayso，"heagreed."ButperhapsthereissomethingelsethatIplay——thatyoulike.Isthere？"
"Oh，yes.Nowthere’sthatlittlethingthatswingsandswayslikethis，"criedBilly，droppingherselfontothepianostoolandwhiskingabout.Billywasnotafraidnow，nordefiant.Shewasonlyeagerandhappyagain.InamomentadreamywaltzfelluponCyril’sears——awaltzthatheoftenplayedhimself.Itwasnotplayedcorrectly，itistrue.Therewerenotes，andsometimeswholemeasures，thatwereverydifferentfromtheprintedmusic.
Butthetune，therhythm，andthespiritwerethere.
"Andthere’sthis，"saidBilly;"andthis，"shewenton，slidingintoonelittlestrainafteranother——allofwhichwererecognizedbytheamazedmanatherside.
"Billy，"hecried，whenshehadfinishedandwhirleduponhimagain，"Billy，wouldyouliketolearntoplay——reallyplayfromnotes？"
"Oh，wouldn’tI！"
"Thenyoushall！We’llhaveapianotomorrowinyourroomsforyoutopractiseon.And——I’llteachyoumyself."
"Oh，thankyou，Mr.Cyril——youdon’tknowhowIthankyou！"exultedBilly，asshedancedfromtheroomtotellAuntHannahofthisgreatandgoodthingthathadcomeintoherlife.
ToBilly，thispromiseofCyril’stobeherteacherwasverykind，verydelightful;butitwasnotintheleastathingatwhichtomarvel.ToBertram，however，itmostcertainlywas.
"Well，guesswhat’shappened，"hesaidtoWilliamthatnight，afterhehadheardthenews."I’llbelieveanythingnow——anything：thatyou’llraffleoffyourcollectionofteapotsatthenextchurchfair，orthatIshallgotoEgyptasa’Cooky’guide.Listen;
CyrilisgoingtogivepianolessonstoBilly！——CYRIL！"
CHAPTERXIV
AUNTHANNAHSPEAKSHERMIND
BertramsaidthattheStratawasnotastrataanylonger.Hedeclaredthatbetweenthem，BillyandSpunkhadcausedsuchanupheavalthattherewasnotellingwhereonestratumleftoffandanotherbegan.WhatBillyhadnotattendedto，Spunkhad，hesaid.
"Yousee，it’slikethis，"heexplainedtoanamusedfriendoneday."BillyistakingpianolessonsofCyril，andsheisposingforoneofmyheads.Naturally，then，suchfemininebelongingsasfancy—work，thread，thimbles，andhairpinsareduetoshowupatanytimeeitherinCyril’sapartmentsormine——tosaynothingofWilliam’s;andshe’sinWilliam’slots——tolookforSpunk，iffornootherpurpose.
"YoumustknowthatSpunklikesWilliam’sfloorthebestofthebunch，therearesomanydelightfulthingstoplaywith.NotthatSpunkstaysthere——dearme，no.He’sasociablelittlechap，andhisusualcourseistopounceonashelf，knockoffsomeobjectthattickleshisfancy，thenlugitinhismouthto——well，anywherethathehappenstofeellikegoing.Cyrilhasfoundhimup—stairswithasmallminiature，batteredandchewedalmostbeyondrecognition.AndAuntHannahnearlyhadafitonedaywhenheappearedinherroomwithanenormoushard—shelledblackbug——dead，ofcourse——thathehadfishedfromacasethatPetehadleftopen.
Asforme，IcanswearthatthelittleroundwhitestonehewasplayingwithinmypartofthehousewasoneofWilliam’sCollectionNumberOne.
"Andthatisn’tall，"Bertramcontinued."Billybringshermusicdowntoshowtome，andlugsmyheadsallovertherestofthehousetoshowtootherfolks.Andthereisalwayseverywhereaknitshawl，forAuntHannahissuretofeeladraught，andBillykeepsshawlshandy.Sothereyouare！Wecertainlyaren’tastrataanylonger，"hefinished.
Billywas，indeed，verymuchathomeintheBeaconStreethouse——
toomuchso，AuntHannahthought.AuntHannahwas，infact，seriouslydisturbed.ToWilliamoneevening，lateinMay，shespokehermind.
"William，whatareyougoingtodowithBilly？"sheaskedabruptly.
"Dowithher？Whatdoyoumean？"returnedWilliamwiththecontentedsmilethatwassooftenonhislipsthesedays."ThisisBilly’shome."
"That’stheworstofit，"sighedthewoman，withashakeofherhead.
"Theworstofit！AuntHannah，whatdoyoumean？Don’tyoulikeBilly？"
"Yes，yes，William，ofcourseIlikeBilly.Iloveher！Whocouldhelpit？That’snotwhatImean.It’sofBillyI’mthinking，andoftherestofyou.Shecan’tstayherelikethis.Shemustgoaway，toschool，or——orsomewhere."
"Andshe’sgoinginSeptember，"repliedtheman."She’llgotopreparatoryschoolfirst，andtocollege，probably."
"Yes，butnow——rightaway.Sheoughttogo——somewhere."
"Why，yes，forthesummer，ofcourse.Butthoseplansaren’tcompletedyet.BillyandIweretalkingofitlastevening.Youknowtheboysarealwaysawaymoreorless，butIseldomgountilAugust，andweletPeteandDongLingoffthenforamonthandclosethehouse.ItoldBillyI’dsendyouandheranywhereshelikedforthewholesummer，butshesaysno.Shepreferstostayherewithme.ButIdon’tquitefancythatidea——throughallthehotJuneandJuly——soIdon’tknowbutI’llgetacottagesomewherenearatoneofthebeaches，whereIcanrunbackandforthnightandmorning.Ofcourse，inthatcase，wetakePeteandDongLingwithusandclosethehouserightaway.IfearCyrilwouldnotfancyitmuch;but，afterall，heandBertramwouldbeoffmoreorless.Theyalwaysareinthesummer."
"But，William，youhaven’tyetgotmyideaatall，"demurredAuntHannah，withadiscouragedshakeofherhead."It’saway！——awayfromallthis——fromyou——thatIwanttogetBilly."
"Away！Awayfromme，"criedtheman，withanoddintonationofterror，ashestartedforwardinhischair."Why，AuntHannah，whatareyoutalkingabout？"
"AboutBilly.Thisisnoplaceinwhichtobringupayounggirl——
ayounggirlwhohasnotoneshredofrelationshiptoexcuseit."
"Butsheismynamesake，andquitealoneintheworld，AuntHannah;
quitealone——poorchild！"
"MydearWilliam，thatisexactlyit——sheisachild，andyetsheisnot.That’swherethetroublelies."
"Whatdoyoumean？"
"William，Billyhasbeenbroughtupinalittlecountrytownwithaspinsterauntandawholegood—natured，tolerantvillageforcompany.Well，shehasacceptedyouandyourentirehousehold，evendowntoDongLing，onthesamebasis."
"Well，I’msureI’mglad，"assertedthemanwithgenialwarmth.
"It’sgoodforustohaveherhere.It’sgoodfortheboys.She’salreadylivenedCyrilupandtonedBertramdown.Imayaswellconfess，AuntHannah，thatI’vebeenmorethanalittledisturbedaboutBertramoflate.Idon’tlikethatBobSeaverthatheissofondof;andsomeotherfellows，too，thathavebeencomingherealtogethertoomuchduringthelastyear.Bertramsaysthey’reonlyalittle’Bohemian’intheirtastes.Andtomethat’stheworstofit，forBertramhimselfisquitetoomuchinclinedthatway."
"Exactly，William.AndthatonlygoestoprovewhatIsaidbefore.
Bertramisnotaspinsteraunt，andneitherareanyoftherestofyou.ButBillytakesyouthatway."
"Takesusthatway——asspinsteraunts！"
"Yes.ShemakesherselfasfreeinthishouseasshewasinherAuntElla’satHampdenFalls.ShefliesuptoCyril’sroomshalfadozentimesadaywithsomequestionaboutherlessons;andIdon’tknowhowlongshe’dsitathisfeetandadoringlylistentohisplayingifhedidn’tsometimesgetoutofpatienceandtellhertogoandpractiseherself.ShemakesnothingoftrippingintoBertram’sstudioatallhoursoftheday;andhe’ssketchedherheadateveryconceivableangle——whichcertainlydoesn’ttendtomakeBillymodestorretiring.Astoyou——youknowhowmuchshe’sinyourrooms，spendingeveningaftereveningfussingoveryourcollections."
"Iknow;butwe’re——we’resortingthemandmakingacatalogue，"
defendedtheman，anxiously."Besides，I——Iliketohaveherthere.Shedoesn’tbothermeabit."
"No;Iknowshedoesn’t，"repliedAuntHannah，withacuriousinflection."Butdon’tyousee，William，thatallthisisn’tgoingtoquitedo？Billy’stooyoung——andtooold."
"Come，come，AuntHannah，isthatexactlylogical？"
"It’strue，atleast."
"But，afterall，where’stheharm？Don’tyouthinkthatyouarejustalittlebittoo——fastidious？Billy’snothingbutacare—freechild."
"It’sthe’free’partthatIobjectto，William.Shehastakeneveryoneofyouintointimatecompanionship——evenPeteandDongLing."
"PeteandDongLing！"
"Yes."Mrs.Stetson’schincameup，andhernostrilsdilatedalittle."BillywenttoPetetheotherdaytohavehimbuttonhershirt—waistupintheback;andyesterdayIfoundherdown—stairsinthekitcheninstructingDongLinghowtomakechocolatefudge！"
Williamfellbackinhischair.
"Well，well，"hemuttered，"well，well！Sheisachild，andnomistake！"Hepaused，hisbrowsdrawnintoatroubledfrown."But，AuntHannah，whatCANIdo？Ofcourseyoucouldtalktoher，but——
Idon’tseemtoquitelikethatidea."
"Mygriefandconscience——no，no！Thatisn’twhatisneededatall.Itwouldonlyservetomakeherself—conscious;andthat’sheronesalvationnow——thatsheisn’tself—conscious.Yousee，it’sonlythefaultofherenvironmentandtraining，afterall.Itisn’therheartthat’swrong."
"Indeeditisn’t！"
"Itwillbedifferentwhensheisolder——whenshehasseenalittlemoreoftheworldoutsideHampdenFalls.She’llgotoschool，ofcourse，andIthinksheoughttotravelalittle.Meanwhile，shemustn’tlive——justlikethis，though;certainlynotforatime，atleast."
"No，no，I’mafraidnot，"agreedWilliam，perplexedly，risingtohisfeet."Butwemustthink——whatcanbedone."Hisstepwasevenslowerthanusualashelefttheroom，andhiseyesweretroubled.
CHAPTERXV
WHATBERTRAMCALLS"THELIMIT"
Athalfpastteno’clockontheeveningfollowingMrs.Stetson’sveryplaintalkwithWilliam，thetelephonebellattheBeaconStreethouserangsharply.Peteansweredit.
"Well？"——Peteneversaid"hello."
"Hello.Isthatyou，Pete？"calledBilly’svoiceagitatedly."IsUncleWilliamthere？"
"No，MissBilly."
"Ohdear！Well，Mr.Cyril，then？"
"He’sout，too，MissBilly.AndMr.Bertram——they’reallout."
"Yes，yes，IknowHE’Sout，"almostsobbedBilly."Dear，dear，whatshallIdo！Pete，you’llhavetocome.Thereisn’tanyotherway！"
"Yes，Miss;where？"Pete’svoicewasdubious，butrespectful.
"TotheBoylstonStreetsubway——ontheCommon，youknow——North—
boundside.I’llwaitforyou——butHURRY！Yousee，I’mallalonehere."
"Alone！MissBilly——inthesubwayatthistimeofnight！But，MissBilly，youshouldn’t——youcan’t——youmustn’t——"stutteredtheoldmaninhelplesshorror.
"Yes，yes，Pete，butnevermind;Iamhere！AndIshouldthinkif’twassuchadreadfulthingyouwouldhurryFASTtogethere，soI
wouldn’tbealone，"appealedBilly.
WithaninarticulatecryPetejerkedthereceiverontothehook，andstumbledawayfromthetelephone.FiveminuteslaterhehadleftthehouseandwashurryingthroughtheCommontotheBoylstonStreetsubwaystation.
Billy，alongcloakthrownoverherwhitedress，waswaitingforhim.Herwhiteslipperstappedtheplatformnervously，andherhair，underthelightscarfoflace，fluffedintolittlebrokencurlsasifithadbeenblownbythewind.
"MissBilly，MissBilly，whatcanthismean？"gaspedtheman.
"WhereisMrs.Stetson？"
"AtMrs.Hartwell’s——youknowsheisgivingareceptionto—night.
Butcome，wemusthurry！I’mafterMr.Bertram."
"AfterMr.Bertram！"
"Yes，yes."
"Alone？——likethis？"
"ButI’mnotalonenow;Ihaveyou.Don’tyousee？"
Attheblankstupefactionintheman’sface，thegirlsighedimpatiently.