Thislineofthoughtheabandonedquickly，however;itcoulddonogood.Butwhatcoulddogood，heaskedhimself.Whatcouldhedo？
Withblindingforcecametheanswer：hecoulddonothing.Billycaredforhim.Billyhadsaid\"yes.\"Billyexpectedtobehiswife.Asifhecouldsaytohernow：\"Ibegyourpardon，but’twasallamistake._I_didnotaskyoutomarryme.\"
VeryvaliantlythenWilliamsummonedhiswitsandtriedtoacthispart.Hetoldhimself，too，thatitwouldnotbeahardone;thathelovedBillydearly，andthathewouldtrytomakeherhappy.Hewincedalittleatthisthought，forherememberedsuddenlyhowoldhewas——asifhe，athisage，wereafitmatchforagirloftwenty—one！
AndthenhelookedatBilly.Thegirlwasplainlynervous.Therewasadeepflushonhercheeksandabrilliantsparkleinhereyes.
Shewastalkingrapidly——almostincoherentlyattimes——andhervoicewastremulous.Frequentlittleembarrassedlaughspunctuatedhersentences，andherfingerstoyedwitheverythingthatcamewithinreach.Sometimebeforeshehadsprungtoherfeetandhadturnedontheelectriclights;andwhenshecamebackshehadnottakenheroldpositionatWilliam’sside，buthadseatedherselfinachairnearby.Allofwhich，accordingtoWilliam’seyes，meantthemaidenlyshynessofagirlwhohasjustsaid\"yes\"tothemansheloves.
Williamwenthomethatnightinadaze.Tohimselfhesaidthathehadgoneoutinsearchofadaughter，andhadcomebackwithawife.
CHAPTERXXXVII
\"WILLIAM’SBROTHER\"
Itwasdecidedthatforthepresent，theengagementshouldnotbeknownoutsidethefamily.Theweddingwouldnottakeplaceimmediately，Williamsaid，anditwasjustaswelltokeepthemattertothemselvesuntilplanswerealittlemoredefinite.
Themembersofthefamilyweretoldatonce.AuntHannahsaid\"Oh，mygriefandconscience！\"threetimes，andmademattersscarcelybetterbyaddingapologetically：\"Oh，ofcourseit’sallright，it’sallright，only——\"Shedidnotfinishhersentence，andWilliam，whohadtoldherthenews，didnotknowwhetherhewouldhavebeenmoreorlesspleasedifshehadfinishedit.
Cyrilreceivedtheinformationmoodily，andlapsedatonceintoafitofabstractionfromwhichherousedhimselfhardlyenoughtoofferperfunctorycongratulationsandbestwishes.
BillywasalittlepuzzledatCyril’sbehavior.ShehadbeensureforsometimethatCyrilhadceasedtocarespeciallyforher，evenifheeverdidfancythathelovedher.Shehadhopedtokeephimforafriend，butoflateshehadbeenforcedtoquestionevenhisfriendliness.Hehad，infact，gonebackalmosttohisoldreserveandtaciturnaloofness.
FromtheWest，inresponsetoWilliam’snewsoftheengagement，cameacordiallypleasednoteinKate’sscrawlinghandwriting.
Kate，indeed，seemedtobetheonlymemberofthefamilywhowasgenuinelydelightedwiththecomingmarriage.AstoBertram——
Bertramappearedtohaveagedyearsinasinglenight，sodrawnandwhitewashisfacethemorningafterWilliamhadtoldhimhisplans.
WilliamhaddreadedmostofalltotellBertram.HewasverysurethatBertramhimselfcaredforBilly;anditwasdoublyhardbecauseinWilliam’sownmindwasastrongconvictionthattheyoungermanwasdecidedlytheoneforher.Realizing，however，thatBertrammustbetold，WilliamchoseatimeforthetellingwhenBertramwassmokinginhisdeninthetwilight，withhisfacehalfhiddenfromsight.
Bertramsaidlittle——verylittle，thatnight;butinthemorninghewentstraighttoBilly.
Billywasshocked.Shehadneverseenthesmiling，self—reliant，debonairBertramlikethis.
\"Billy，isthistrue？\"hedemanded.ThedullmiseryinhisvoicetoldBillythatheknewtheanswerbeforeheaskedthequestion.
\"Yes，yes;but，Bertram，please——pleasedon’ttakeitlikethis！\"
sheimplored.
\"Howwouldyouhavemetakeit？\"
\"Why，just——justsensibly.YouknowItoldyouthat——thattheothernevercouldbe——never.\"
\"IknowYOUsaidso;butI——believedotherwise.\"
\"ButItoldyou——Ididnotloveyou——thatway.\"
Bertramwinced.Herosetohisfeetabruptly.
\"Iknowyoudid，Billy.I’mafool，ofcourse，tothinkthatI
couldever——changeit.Ishouldn’thavecomehere，either，thismorning.ButI——hadto.Good—by！\"Hisface，asheheldouthishand，wastragicwithrenunciation.
\"Why，Bertram，youaren’tgoing——now——likethis！\"criedthegirl.
\"You’vejustcome！\"
Themanturnedalmostimpatiently.
\"AnddoyouthinkIcanstay——likethis？Billy，won’tyousaygood—by？\"heaskedinasoftervoice，againwithoutstretchedhand.
Billyshookherhead.Sheignoredthehand，andresolutelybackedaway.
\"No，notlikethat.Youareangrywithme，\"shegrieved.
\"Besides，youmakeitsoundasif——ifyouweregoingaway.\"
\"Iamgoingaway.\"
\"Bertram！\"TherewasterroraswellasdismayinBilly’svoice.
Againthemanturnedsharply.
\"Billy，whyareyoumakingthisthingsohardforme？\"heaskedindespair.\"Can’tyouseethatImustgo？\"
\"Indeed，Ican’t.Andyoumustn’tgo，either.Thereisn’tanyreasonwhyyoushould，\"urgedBilly，talkingveryfast，andworkingherfingersnervously.\"Thingsarejustthesameastheywerebefore——foryou.I’mjustgoingtomarryWilliam，butIwasn’tevergoingtomarryyou，sothatdoesn’tchangethingsanyforyou.
Don’tyousee？Why，Bertram，youmustn’tgoaway！Therewon’tbeanybodyleft.Cyril’sgoingnextweek，youknow;andifyougotherewon’tbeanybodyleftbutWilliamandme.Bertram，youmustn’tgo;don’tyousee？Ishouldfeellostwithout——you！\"
Billywasalmostcryingnow.
Bertramlookedupquickly.Anoddchangehadcometohisface.
ForamomenthegazedsilentlyintoBilly’sagitatedcountenance;
thenheaskedinalowvoice：
\"Billy，didyouthinkthatafteryouandWilliamweremarriedI
shouldstillcontinuetoliveat——theStrata？\"
\"Why，ofcourseyouwill！\"criedthegirl，indignantly.\"Why，Bertram，you’llbemybrotherthen——myrealbrother;andoneoftheverychiefestthingsI’manticipatingwhenIgotheretoliveisthegoodtimesyouandIwillhavetogetherwhenI’mWilliam’swife！\"
Bertramdrewinhisbreathaudibly，andcaughthislowerlipbetweenhisteeth.Withanabruptmovementheturnedhisbackandwalkedtothewindow.Forafullminutehestayedthere，watchedbytheamazed，displeasedeyesofthegirl.WhenhecamebackhesatdownquietlyinthechairfacingBilly.Hiscountenancewasgraveandhiseyeswerealittletroubled;butthehaggardlookofmiserywasquitegone.
\"Billy，\"hebegangently，\"youmustforgivemysayingthis，but——
areyouquitesureyou——loveWilliam？\"
Billyflushedwithanger.
\"Youhavenorighttoasksuchaquestion.OfcourseIloveWilliam.\"
\"Ofcourseyoudo——weallloveWilliam.Williamis，infact，amostlovableman.ButWilliam’swifeshould，perhaps，lovehimalittledifferentlyfrom——allofus.\"
\"Andshewill，certainly，\"retortedthegirl，withaquickliftingofherchin.\"Bertram，Idon’tthinkyouhaveanyrightto——tomakesuchinsinuations.\"
\"AndIwon’tmakethemanymore，\"repliedBertram，gravely.\"I
justwantedyoutomakesurethatyou——knew.\"
\"Ishallmakesure，andIshallknow，\"saidBilly，firmly——sofirmlythatitsoundedalmostasifsheweretryingtoconvinceherselfaswellasothers.
Therewasalongpause，thenthemanaskeddiffidently：
\"Andsoyouareverysurethat——thatyouwantmeto——stay？\"
\"IndeedIdo！Besides，——don’tyouremember？——thereareallmypeopletobeentertained.Theymustbetakentoplaces，andgivenmotorridesandpicnics.Youtoldmelastweekthatyou’dlovetohelpme;but，ofcourse，ifyoudon’twantto——\"
\"ButIdowantto，\"criedBertram，heartily，agleamoftheoldcheerfulnessspringingtohiseyes.\"I’mdyingto！\"
Thegirllookedupwithquickdistrust.Foramomentsheeyedhimwithbentbrows.Tohermindhehadgonebacktohisoldairy，hopefullight—heartedness.Hewasoncemore\"onlyBertram.\"Shehesitated，thensaidwithsterndecision：
\"Bertram，youknowIwantyou，andyoumustknowthatI’mdelightedtohaveyoudropthissillynotionofgoingaway.Butifthisquickchangemeansthatyouarestayingwithanyideathat——that_I_shallchange，then——thenyoumustgo.ButifyouwillstayasWILLIAM’SBROTHERthen——I’llbemorethangladtohaveyou.\"
\"I’llstay——asWilliam’sbrother，\"agreedBertram;andBillydidnotnoticethequickindrawingofhisbreathnorthecloseshuttingofhislipsafterthewordswerespoken.
CHAPTERXXXVIII
THEENGAGEMENTOFTWO
BythemiddleofJulytheroutineofBilly’sdayswaswellestablished.Mariehadbeenforaweekawelcomeadditiontothefamily，andshewasprovingtobeofinvaluableaidinentertainingBilly’sguests.Theoverworkedwidowandthelittlelodging—housekeeperfromtheWestEndwereenjoyingBilly’shospitalitynow;andjusttolookattheirbeamingcountenanceswasaninspiration，Billysaid.
Cyrilhadgoneabroad.AuntHannahwasspendingaweekattheNorthShorewithfriends.Bertram，truetohispromise，wasplayingthegallanttoBilly’sguests;andsoassiduouswasheinhisattentionsthatBillyatlastremonstratedwithhim.
\"ButIdidn’tmeanthemtotakeALLyourtime，\"sheprotested.
\"Don’ttheylikeit？Dotheyseetoomuchofme？\"hedemanded.
\"No，no！Theyloveit，ofcourse.Youmustknowthat.Nobodyelsecouldgivesuchbeautifultimesasyou’vegivenus.Butit’syourselfI’mthinkingof.You’regivingupallyourtime.
Besides，Ididn’tmeantokeepyouhereallsummer，ofcourse.Youalwaysgoawaysome，youknow，foravacation.\"
\"ButI’mhavingavacationhere，doingthis，\"laughedBertram.
\"I’msureI’mgettingseaairdowntothebeachesandmountainairouttotheBlueHills.Andasforexcitement——ifyoucanfindanythingmorewildlyexcitingthanitwasyesterdaywhenMissMarieandItookthewidowandthespinsterladyontheRoller—coaster——
justshowittome;that’sall！\"
Billylaughed.
\"Theytoldmeaboutit——Marieinparticular.Shesaidyouwerelovelytothem，andletthemdoeverysinglethingtheywantedto;
andthathalfanhouraftertheygottheretheywereliketwochildrenletoutofschool.Dearme，IwishI’dgone.IneverstayathomethatIdon’tmisssomething，\"shefinishedregretfully.
Bertramshruggedhisshoulders.
\"Ifit’sRoller—coastersandChute—the—chutesthatyouwant，I
fancyyou’llgetenoughbeforetheweekisout，\"hesighedlaughingly.\"Theysaidthey’dliketogothereto—morrow，please，whenIaskedthemwhatweshoulddonext.Whatsurprisesmeisthattheylikesuchthings——suchhair—raisingthings.WhenIfirstsawthem，black—gownedandstiff—backed，sittinginyourlittleroomhere，IthoughtIshouldneverdareofferthemanythingmorewildlyexcitingthanachurchserviceoralectureonpsychology，withperhapsabandconcerthintedat，providedthebandcouldbeproperlyinstructedbeforehandastotempoandselections.Butnow——really，Billy，whydoyousupposetheyhavetakensuchafancytothesekiddishstunts——thosetwostaidwomen？\"
Billylaughed，buthereyessoftened.
\"Idon’tknowunlessit’sbecausealltheirlivesthey’vebeentiedtosuchdeadmonotonythatjusttheexhilarationofmotionisblisstothem.Butyouwon’talwayshavetoriskyourneckandyourtemperinthisfashion，Bertram.NextweekmylittlecouplefromSouthBostoncomes.Sheadorespicturesandstuffedanimals.
You’llhavetodothemuseumswithher.Thenthere’slittlecrippledTommy——he’llbeperfectlycontentedifyou’llputhimdownwherehecanhearthebandplay.Andallyou’llhavetodowhenthatonestopsistopilothimtothenextone.ThisISgoodofyou，Bertram，andIdothankyouforit，\"finishedBilly，fervently，justasMarie，thewidow，andthe\"spinsterlady\"enteredtheroom.
Billytoldherselfthesedaysthatshewasveryhappy——veryhappyindeed.Wasshenotengagedtoagoodman，anddidshenotalsohaveitinherpowertomakethelongsummerdaysapleasuretomanypeople？Thefactthatshehadtotellherselfthatshewashappyinordertoconvinceherselfthatshewasso，didnotoccurtoBilly——yet.
NotlongafterMariearrived，Billytoldheroftheengagement.
Williamwasatthehouseveryfrequently，andowingtotheintimacyofMarie’srelationshipwiththefamilyBillydecidedtotellherhowmattersstood.Marie’sreceptionofthenewswassomewhatsurprising.Firstshelookedfrightened.
\"ToWilliam？——youareengagedtoWilliam？\"
\"Why——yes.\"
\"ButIthought——surelyitwas——don’tyoumean——Mr.Cyril？\"
\"No，Idon’t，\"laughedBilly.\"AndcertainlyIoughttoknow.\"
\"Andyoudon’t——careforhim？\"
\"Ihopenot——ifI’mgoingtomarryWilliam.\"
SolightwasBilly’svoiceandmannerthatMariedaredonemorequestion.
\"Andhe——doesn’tcare——foryou？\"
\"Ihopenot——ifWilliamisgoingtomarryme，\"laughedBillyagain.
\"Oh—h！\"breathedMarie，withanoddintonationofrelief.\"ThenI’mglad——soglad！AndIhopeyou’llbevery，veryhappy，dear.\"
BillylookedintoMarie’sglowingfaceandwaspleased：thereseemedtobesofew，soveryfewfacesintowhichshehadlookedandfoundentireapprobationofherengagementtoWilliam.
BillysawagreatdealofWilliamnow.Hewasalwayskindandconsiderate，andhetriedtohelpherentertainherguests;butBilly，gratefulasshewastohimforhisefforts，wasrelievedwhenheresignedhisplacetoBertram.Bertramdid，indeed，knowsomuchbetterhowtodoit.Williamtriedtohelpher，too，abouttraininghervinesandrosebushes;butofcourse，eveninthis，hecouldnotbeexpectedtoshowquitetheinterestthatBertrammanifestedineverygreenshootandopeningbud，forhehadnothelpedherplantthem，asBertramhad.
Billywasalittletroubledsometimes，thatshedidnotfeelmoreateasewithWilliam.Shethoughtitnaturalthatsheshouldfeelalittlediffidentwithhim，inthefaceofhissuddenchangefroman\"uncle\"toanacceptedlover;butshedidnotseewhysheshouldbeafraidofhim——yetshewas.Sheownedthattoherselfunhappily.
Andhewassogood！——sheownedthat，too.Heseemednottohaveathoughtintheworldbutforhercomfortandhappiness;andtherewasnoendtothetactfullittlethingshewasalwaysdoingforherpleasure.Heseemed，also，tohavedivinedthatshedidnotliketobekissedandcaressed;andonlyoccasionallydidhekissher，andthenitwasmerelyasortoffatherlysaluteonherforehead——forwhichconsiderationBillywasgrateful：Billydecidedthatshewouldnotliketobekissedonthelips.
AftersomedaysofpuzzlingoverthematterBillyconcludedthatitwasself—consciousnessthatcausedallthetrouble.WithWilliamshewasself—conscious.IfshecouldonlyforgetthatshewassomedaytobeWilliam’swife，theolddelightfulcomradeshipwouldreturn，andshewouldbeateaseagainwithhim.Intime，aftershehadbecomeaccustomedtotheideaofmarriage，itwouldnotsoconfuseher，ofcourse.Shelovedhimdearly，andshewantedtomakehimhappy;butforthepresent——justwhileshewas\"gettingusedtothings\"——shewouldtrytoforget，sometimes，thatshewasgoingtobeWilliam’swife.
Billywashappiernow.Shewasalwayshappieraftershehadthoughtthingsouttoherownsatisfaction.Sheturnedwithnewzesttotheentertainmentofherguests;andwithBertramsheplannedmanydelightfultripsfortheirpleasure.Bertramwasagreatcomforttoherthesedays.Never，inwordorlook，couldsheseethatheoversteppedtherolewhichhehadpromisedtoplay——
William’sbrother.
Billywentbacktohermusic，too.Anewmelodywasrunningthroughherhead，andshelongedtoputitonpaper.Alreadyherfirstlittle\"GroupofSongs\"hadfoundfriends，andBilly，toaverymodestextent，wasbeginningtotastethesweetsoffame.
Thus，byalltheseinterests，didBillytry\"togetusedtothings.\"
CHAPTERXXXIX
ALITTLEPIECEOFPAPER
OfallBilly’sguests，Mariewasveryplainlythehappiest.Shewasapermanentguest，itistrue，whiletheotherscameforonlyaweekortwoatatime;butitwasnotthis，Billydecided，thathadbroughtsobrilliantasparkletoMarie’seyes，sojoyousalaughtoherlips.Thejoyousnesswasallthemorenoticeable，becauseheretoforeMarie，whileverysweet，hadbeenalsosad.Herbigblueeyeshadalwayscarriedahauntingshadow，andherstephadlackedthespringbelongingtoyouthandhappiness.Certainly，Billyhadneverseenherlikethisbefore.
\"Verily，Marie，\"sheteasedoneday，\"haveyoufoundanexhaustlesssupplyofstockingstomend，oranever—donepuddingtomake——
which？\"
\"Why？Whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Oh，nothing.Iwasonlywonderingjustwhathadbroughtthatnewlighttoyoureyes.\"
\"Isthereanewlight？\"
\"Therecertainlyis.\"
\"ItmustbebecauseI’msohappy，then，\"sighedMarie;\"becauseyou’resogoodtome.\"
\"Isthatall？\"
\"Isn’tthatenough？\"Marie’stonewasevasive.
\"No.\"Billyshookherheadmischievously.\"Marie，whatisit？\"
\"It’snothing——really，it’snothing，\"protestedMarie，hurryingoutoftheroomwithanervouslaugh.
Billyfrowned.Shewassuspiciousbefore;shewassurenow.Inlessthantwelvehours’timecameheropportunity.ShewasaloneagainwithMarie.
\"Marie，whoishe？\"sheaskedabruptly.
\"He？Who？\"
\"Themanwhoistowearthestockingsandeatthepudding.\"
Thelittlemusicteacherflushedveryred，butshemanagedtodisplaysomethingthatmightpassforsurprise.
\"BILLY！\"
\"Come，dear，\"coaxedBilly，winningly.\"Tellmeaboutit.I’msointerested！\"
\"Butthereisn’tanythingtotell——reallythereisn’t.\"
\"Whoishe？\"
\"Heisn’tanybody——thatis，hedoesn’tknowhe’sanybody，\"amendedMarie.
Billylaughedsoftly.
\"Oh，doesn’the！Hasn’theevershown——thathecared？\"
\"No;thatis——perhapshehas，onlyIthoughtthen——thatitwas——
anothergirl.\"
\"Anothergirl！Sothere’sanothergirlinthecase？\"
\"Yes.Imean，no，\"correctedMarie，suddenlybeginningtorealizewhatshewassaying.\"Really，itwasn’tanything——itisn’tanything！\"sheprotested.
\"Hm—m，\"murmuredBilly，archly.\"Oh，I’mgettingonsome！Hedidshow，once，thathecared;butyouthoughtitwasanothergirl，andyoucoldlylookedtheotherway.Now，thereISN’Tanyothergirl，youfind，and——Marie，tellmetherest！\"
Marieshookherheademphatically，andpulledherselfgentlyawayfromBilly’sgrasp.
\"No，no，please！\"shebegged.\"Itreallyisn’tanything.I’msureI’mimaginingitall！\"shecried，assheranaway.
Duringthedaysthatfollowed，BillyspeculatednotalittleonMarie’shalf—toldstory，andwonderedinterestedlywhothemanmightbe.ShequestionedMarieonceagain，butthegirlwouldtellnothingmore;and，indeed，Billywassooccupiedwithherownperplexitiesthatshehadlittletimeforthoseofotherpeople.
ToherselfBillywasforcedtoownthatshewasnot\"gettingusedtothings.\"Shewasstillself—consciouswithWilliam;shecouldnotforgetthatshewasonedaytobehiswife.Shecouldnotbringbackthedearoldfreedomofcomradeshipwithhim.
Billywasalarmednow.Shehadbeguntoaskherselfsearchingquestions.Whatshouldshedoifnever，nevershouldshegetusedtotheideaofmarryingWilliam？Howcouldshemarryhimifhewasstill\"UncleWilliam，\"andneverherdearloverinhereyes？Whyhadshenotbeenwiseenoughandbraveenoughtotellhiminthefirstplacethatshewasnotatallsurethatshelovedhim，butthatshewouldtrytodoso？Thenwhenshehadtried——asshehadnow——andfailed，shecouldhavetoldhimhonestlythetruth，anditwouldnothavebeensogreatashocktohimasitmustbenow，ifsheshouldtellhim.
Billyhadremorsefullycometotheconclusionthatshecouldneverloveanymanwellenoughtomarryhim，whenonedaysosmallathingasapieceofpaperflutteredintohervision，andshowedherthefallacyofthatidea.
Itwasahalf—sheetofnotepaper，anditblewfromMarie’sbalconytothelawnbelow.Billyfoundittherelater，andasshepickedituphereyesfellonasinglenameinMarie’shandwritinginscribedhalfadozentimesasifthewriterhadmusinglyaccompaniedherthoughtswithherpen;andthenamewas，\"MarieHenshaw.\"
ForamomentBillystaredatthenameperplexedly——theninaflashcametheremembranceofMarie’swords;andBillybreathed：
\"Henshaw！——theman——BERTRAM！\"
Billydroppedthepaperthenandfled.Inherownroom，behindlockeddoors，shesatdowntothink.
Bertram！ItwasheforwhomMariecared——HERBertram！AndthenitcametoBillywithstaggeringforcethathewasnotHERBertramatall.HenevercouldbeherBertramnow.Hewas——Marie’s.
Billywasfrightenedthen，sofiercewasthisstrangenewsomethingthatrosewithinher——thisoverpoweringsomethingthatseemedtoblotoutalltheworld，andleaveonly——Bertram.Sheknewthen，thatithadalwaysbeenBertramtowhomshehadturned，thoughshehadbeenblindtothecauseofthatturning.Alwaysherplanshadincludedhim.Alwaysshehadbeenthehappiestinhispresence;
neverhadshepicturedhimanywhereelsebutatherside.
Certainlyneverhadshepicturedhimasthedevotedloverofanotherwoman！Andshehadnotknownwhatitallmeant——
poorblindchildthatshewas！
VeryresolutelynowBillysetherselftolookingmatterssquarelyintheface.Sheunderstooditquitewell.AllsummerMarieandBertramhadbeenthrowntogether.NowonderMariehadfalleninlovewithBertram，andthathe——BillythoughtshecomprehendednowwhyBertramhadfounditsoeasyforthelastfewweekstobeWilliam’sbrother.She，ofcourse，hadbeenthe\"othergirl\"whomMariehadoncefearedthatthemanloved.Itwasallsoclear——sowoefullyclear！
WithanachingheartBillyaskedherselfwhatnowwastobedone.
Forherself，turnwhicheverwayshecould，shecouldseenothingbutunhappiness.Shedetermined，therefore，withSpartanfortitude，thattonooneelsewouldshebringequalunhappiness.
Shewouldbesilent.BertramandMarielovedeachother.Thatmatterwassettled.AstoWilliam——BillythoughtofthestoryWilliamhadtoldherofhislonelylife，——ofthepleahehadmadetoher;andherheartached.Whateverhappened，Williammustbemadehappy.Williammustnotbetold.HerpromisetoWilliammustbekept.
CHAPTERXL
WILLIAMPAYSAVISIT
BeforeSeptemberpassedallBilly’sfriendssaidthathersummer’sself—appointedtaskhadbeentoohardforher.Innootherwaycouldtheyaccountforthesadchangethathadcometoher.
UndeniablyBillylookedreallyill.Alwaysslender，shewasshadow—likenow.Hereyeshadfoundagainthewistfulappealofhergirlhood，onlynowtheycarriedsomethingthatwasalmostfear，aswell.Therose—flushhadgonefromhercheeks，andpatheticlittlehollowshadappeared，makingtheroundyoungchinbelowlookalmostpointed.CertainlyBillydidseemtobeill.
LateinSeptemberWilliamwentWestonbusiness.Incidentallyhecalledtoseehissister，Kate.
\"Well，andhowiseverybody？\"askedKate，cheerily，afterthegreetingswereover.
Williamsighed.
\"Well，’everybody，’tome，Kate，isprettybadlyoff.We’reworriedaboutBilly.\"
\"Billy！Youdon’tmeanshe’ssick？Why，she’salwaysbeenthepictureofhealth！\"
\"Iknowshehas;butsheisn’tnow.\"
\"What’sthetrouble？\"
\"That’swhatwedon’tknow.\"
\"You’vehadthedoctor？\"
\"Ofcourse;twoorthreeofthem——thoughmuchagainstBilly’swill.
But——theydidn’thelpus.\"
\"Whatdidtheysay？\"
\"Theycouldfindnothingexceptperhapsalittletemporarystomachtrouble，orsomethingofthatkind，whichtheyallagreedwasnojustcauseforherpresentcondition.\"
\"Butwhatdidtheysayitwas？\"
\"Why，theysaiditseemedlikenervousness，orasifsomethingwastroublingher.Theyaskedifsheweren’tundersomesortofstrain.\"
\"Well，isshe？Doesanythingtroubleher？\"
\"NotthatIknowof.Anyhow，ifthereisanything，noneofuscanfindoutwhatitis.\"
Katefrowned.Shethrewaquicklookintoherbrother’sface.
\"William，\"shebeganhesitatingly，\"forgiveme，but——Billyisquitehappyin——herengagement，Isuppose.\"
Themanflushedpainfully，andsighed.
\"I’vethoughtofthat，ofcourse.Infact，itwasthefirstthingIdidthinkof.Ievenbegantowatchherratherclosely，andonceI——questionedheralittle.\"
\"Whatdidshesay？\"
\"SheseemedsofrightenedanddistressedthatIdidn’tsaymuchmyself.Icouldn’t.Ihadbutjustbegunwhenhereyesfilledwithtears，andsheaskedmeinafrightenedlittlevoiceifshehaddoneanythingtodispleaseme，anythingtomakemeunhappy;andsheseemedsoanxiousandgrievedanddismayedthatIshouldevenquestionher，thatIhadtostop.\"
\"Whathasshedonethissummer？Wherehasshebeen？\"
\"Shehasn’tbeenanywhere.Didn’tIwriteyou？She’skeptopenhouseforalotofherlessfortunatefriends——asortofvacationhome，youknow;and——andImustsayshe’sgiventhemaworldofhappiness，too.\"
\"Butwasn’tthathardforher？\"
\"Itdidn’tseemtobe.Sheappearedtoenjoyitimmensely，particularlyatfirst.Ofcourseshehadplentyofhelp，andthatwonderfullittleMissHawthornhasbeenahostinherself.They’reallgonenow，anyway，exceptMissHawthorn.\"
\"ButBillymusthavehadthecareandtheexcitement.\"
\"Perhaps——toacertainextent.Thoughnotmuch，afterall.YouseeBertram，too，hasgivenuphissummertothem，andhasbeenplayingthedevotedescorttothewholebunch.Indeed，forthelastfewweeksofit，sinceBillybegantoseemsoill，heandMissHawthornhaveschemedtotakeallthecarefromBilly，andtheyhavedonethewholethingtogether.\"
\"ButwhatHASBillydonetomakeherlikethis？\"
\"Idon’tknow.She’sdonelotsforme，inallsortsofways——
cataloguingmycurios，youknow，andgoingwithmetohuntupthings.Infact，sheseemsthehappiestwhensheISdoingsomethingforme.It’scometobeasortofmaniawithher，I’mafraid——todosomethingforme.Kate，I’mreallyworried.Whatdoyousupposeisthematter？\"
Kateshookherhead.Thepuzzledfrownhadcomebacktoherface.
\"Ican’timagine，\"shebeganslowly.\"Ofcourse，whenItoldheryoulovedherand——\"
\"Whenyoutoldherwha—at？\"explodedtheusuallylow—voicedWilliam，withsuddensharpness.
\"WhenItoldherthatyoulovedher，William.Yousee，I——\"
Williamsprangtohisfeet.
\"ToldherthatIlovedher！\"hecried，aghast.\"Goodheavens，Kate，doyoumeantosaythatYOUtoldherTHAT.\"
\"Why，y—yes.\"
\"AndmayIaskwhereyougotyourinformation？\"
\"Why，WilliamHenshaw，whataquestion！Igotitfromyourself，ofcourse，\"defendedKate.
\"FromME！\"William’sfaceexpressedsheeramazement.
\"Certainly;onthatdrivewhenIwasEastinJune，\"returnedKate，withdignity.\"YOUevidentlyhaveforgottenit，butIhavenot.
Youtoldmeveryfranklyhowmuchyouthoughtofher，andhowyoulongedtohaveherbacktherewithyou，butthatshedidn’tseemtobereadytocome.Iwassorryforyou，andIwantedtodosomethingtohelp，particularlyasitmighthavebeenmyfault，partly，thatshewentaway，inthefirstplace.\"
Williamliftedhishead.
\"Whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Why，nothing，onlythatI——Itoldheralittleofhow——howupsettingherarrivalhadbeentoeverything，andofhowmuchyouhaddoneforher，andputyourselfout.Isaiditsoshe’dappreciatethings，ofcourse，butshetookitquitedifferentlyfromwhatIhadintendedsheshouldtakeit，andseemedquitecutupaboutit.Thenshewentawayinthatwily，impulsivefashion.\"
Williambithislip，buthedidnotspeak.Katewasplungingonfeverishly，andinthefaceofthegreaterrevelationheletthelesseronedrop.
\"Andsothat’swhyIwasparticularlyanxioustobringthingsaroundrightagain，\"continuedKate.\"Andthat’swhyIspoke.I
thoughtI’dseenhowthingswere，andonthedriveIsaidso.TheniswhenIadvisedyoutospeaktoBilly;butyoudeclaredthatBillywasn’tready，andthatyoucouldn’tmakeagirlmarryagainstherwill.NOWdon’tyourecollectit？\"
AgreatlightofunderstandingbrokeoverWilliam’sface.Hestartedtospeak，butsomethingevidentlystayedthewordsonhislips.Withcontrolleddeliberationheturnedandsatdown.Thenhesaid：
\"Kate，willyoukindlytellmejustwhatyouDIDdo？\"
\"Why，Ididn’tdosoverymuch.Ijusttriedtohelp，that’sall.
AfterItalkedwithyou，andadvisedyoutoaskBillyrightawaytomarryyou，Iwenttoher.Ithoughtshecaredforyoualready，anyway;butIjustwantedtotellherhowverymuchitwastoyou，andsosortofpavetheway.AndnowcomesthepartthatIstartedtotellyoualittlewhileagowhenyoucaughtmeupsosharply.I
wasgoingtosaythatwhenItoldBillythis，sheappearedtobesurprised，andalmostfrightened.Yousee，shehadn’tknownyoucaredforher，afterall，andsoIhadachancetohelpandmakeitplaintoherhowyoudidloveher，sothatwhenyouspokeeverythingwouldbeallright.There，that’sall.YouseeIdidn’tdosoverymuch.\"
\"’Soverymuch’！\"groanedWilliam，startingtohisfeet.\"GreatScott！\"
\"Why，William，whatdoyoumean？Whereareyougoing？\"
\"I’mgoing——to——Billy，\"retortedWilliamwithslowdistinctness.
\"AndI’mgoingtotrytogetthere——before——you——CAN！\"Andwiththisextraordinaryshot——forWilliam——heleftthehouse.
WilliamwenttoBillyasfastassteamcouldcarryhim.Hefoundherinherlittledrawing—roomlistlesslywatchingwithAuntHannahthegameofchessthatBertramandMariewereplaying.
\"Billy，youpoor，dearchild，comehere，\"hesaidabruptly，assoonastheexcitementofhisunexpectedarrivalhadpassed.\"Iwanttotalktoyou.\"Andheledthewaytotheverandawhichheknewwouldbesilentanddeserted.
\"Totalkto——me？\"murmuredBilly，asshewonderinglycametohisside，astartledquestioninginherwidedarkeyes.
CHAPTERXLI
THECROOKEDMADESTRAIGHT
Williamdidnotre—enterthehouseafterhistalkwithBillyontheveranda.
\"Iwillgodownthestepsandaroundbytherosegardentothestreet，dear，\"hesaid.\"I’drathernotgoinnow.Justmakemyadieus，please，andsaythatIcouldn’tstayanylonger.Andnow——
good—by.\"Hiseyesastheylookeddownather，weremoistandverytender.Hislipstrembledalittle，buttheysmiled，andtherewasalookofnew—bornpeaceandjoyonhisface.
Billy，too，wassmiling，thoughwistfully.Thefrightenedquestioninghadgonefromhereyes，leavingonlyinfinitetenderness.
\"Youaresureit——itisallright——now？\"shestammered.
\"Verysure，littlegirl;andit’sthefirsttimeithasbeenrightforweeks.Billy，thatwasverydearofyou，andIloveyouforit;butthinkhownear——howperilouslynearyoucametolifelongmisery！\"
\"ButIthought——youwantedme——somuch，\"shesmiledshyly.
\"AndIdid，andIdo——foradaughter.Youdon’tdoubtthatNOW？\"
\"No，oh，no，\"laughedBilly，softly;andtoherfacecameahappylookofreliefasshefinished：\"AndI’llbesogladtobe——thedaughter！\"
Forsomeminutesafterthemanhadgone，Billystoodbythestepswherehehadlefther.ShewasstilltherewhenBertramcametotheverandadoorandspoketoher.
\"Billy，IsawWilliamgobythewindow，soIknewyouwerealone.
MayIspeaktoyou？\"
Thegirlturnedwithastart.
\"Why，ofcourse！Whatisit？——butIthoughtyouwereplaying.
WhereisMarie？\"
\"Thegameisfinished;besides——Billy，whyareyoualwaysaskingmelatelywhereMarieis，asifIwereherkeeper，orshemine？\"hedemanded，withatouchofnervousirritation.
\"Why，nothing，Bertram，\"smiledBilly，alittlewearily;\"onlythatyouwereplayingtogetherafewminutesago，andIwonderedwhereshehadgone.\"
\"’Afewminutesago’！\"echoedBertramwithsuddenbitterness.
\"Evidentlythetimepassedswiftlywithyou，Billy.WilliamwasouthereMOREthananhour.\"
\"Why——Bertram！\"
\"Yes，Iknow.I’venobusinesstosaythat，ofcourse，\"sighedtheman;\"but，Billy，that’swhyIcameout——becauseImustspeaktoyouthisonce.Won’tyoucomeandsitdown，please？\"heimploreddespairingly.
\"Why，Bertram，\"murmuredBillyagain，faintly，assheturnedtowardthevine—shadedcornerandsatdown.Hereyeswerestartled.A
swiftcolorhadcometohercheeks.
\"Billy，\"begantheman，inasternlycontrolledvoice，\"pleaseletmespeakthisonce，anddon’ttrytostopme.Youmaythink，foramoment，thatit’sdisloyaltoWilliamifyoulisten;butitisn’t.
There’sthismuchduetome——thatyouletmespeaknow.Billy，I
can’tstandit.I’vetried，butit’snouse.I’vegottogoaway，andit’srightthatIshould.I’mnottheonlyonethatthinksso，either.Mariedoes，too.\"
\"MARIE！\"
\"Yes.Italkeditalloverwithher.She’sknownforalongtimehowit’sbeenwithme;howIcared——foryou.\"
\"Marie！You’vetoldMariethat？\"gaspedBilly.
\"Yes.Surelyyoudon’tmindMarie’sknowing，\"wentonBertram，dejectedly.\"Andshe’sbeensogoodtome，andtriedto——helpme.\"
BertramwasnotlookingatBillynow.Ifhehadbeenhewouldhaveseentheincredulousjoycomeintoherface.Hiseyesweremoodilyfixedonthefloor.
\"Andso，Billy，I’vecometotellyou.I’mgoingaway，\"hecontinued，afteramoment.\"I’vegottogo.Ithoughtonce，whenIfirsttalkedwithyouofWilliam，thatyoudidn’tknowyourownheart;thatyoudidn’treallycareforhim.Iwasevenfoolenoughtothinkthat——thatitwouldbeItowhomyou’dturn——someday.
AndsoIstayed.ButIstayedhonorably，Billy！YOUknowthat！
YouknowthatIhaven’tonceforgotten——notonce，thatIwasonlyWilliam’sbrother.IpromisedyouI’dbethat——andIhavebeen;
haven’tI？\"
Billynoddedsilently.Herfacewasturnedaway.
\"But，Billy，Ican’tdoitanylonger.I’vegottoaskformypromiseback，andthen，ofcourse，Ican’tstay.\"
\"Butyou——youdon’thavetogo——away，\"murmuredthegirl，faintly.
Bertramsprangtohisfeet.Hisfacewaswhite.
\"Billy，\"hecried，standingtallandstraightbeforeher，\"Billy，I
loveeverytouchofyourhand，everyglanceofyoureye，everywordthatfallsfromyourlips.DoyouthinkIcanstay——now？Iwantmypromiseback！WhenI’mnolongerWilliam’sbrother——thenI’llgo！\"
\"Butyoudon’thavetohaveitback——thatis，youdon’thavetohaveitatall，\"stammeredBilly，flushingadorably.She，too，wasonherfeetnow.
\"Billy，whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Don’tyousee？I——IHAVEturned，\"shefalteredbreathlessly，holdingoutbothherhands.
Eventhen，inspiteofthegreatlightthatleapedtohiseyes，Bertramadvancedonlyasinglestep.
\"But——William？\"hequestioned，unbelievingly.
\"ItWASamistake，justasyouthought.Weknownow——bothofus.
Wedon’teitherofuscarefortheother——thatway.And——Bertram，IthinkitHASbeenyou——allthetime，onlyIdidn’tknow！\"
\"Billy，Billy！\"chokedBertraminavoiceshakenwithemotion.Heopenedhisarmsthen，wide——andBillywalkedstraightintothem.
CHAPTERXLII
THE\"ENDOFTHESTORY\"
ItwastwodaysafterBilly’snewhappinesshadcometoherthatCyrilcamehome.HewentverysoontoseeBilly.
Thegirlwassurprisedatthechangeinhisappearance.Hehadgrownthinandhaggardlooking，andhiseyesweresomber.Hemovedrestlesslyabouttheroomforatime，finallyseatinghimselfatthepianoandlettinghisfingersslipfromonemournfullittlemelodytoanother.Then，withadiscordantcrash，heturned.
\"Billy，doyouthinkanygirlwouldmarry——me？\"hedemanded.
\"Why，Cyril！\"
\"There，now，pleasedon’tbeginthat，\"hebeggedfretfully.\"I
realize，ofcourse，thatI’maveryunlikelysubjectformatrimony.
Youmademeunderstandthatclearlyenoughlastwinter！\"
\"Last——winter？\"
Cyrilraisedhiseyebrows.
\"Oh，Icametoyouforalittleencouragement，andtomakeaconfession，\"hesaid.\"Imadetheconfession——butIdidn’tgettheencouragement.\"
Billychangedcolor.Shethoughtsheknewwhathemeant，butatthesametimeshecouldn’tunderstandwhyheshouldwishtorefertothatconversationnow.
\"A——confession？\"sherepeated，hesitatingly.
\"Yes.ItoldyouthatI’dbeguntodoubtmybeingsuchawoman—
hater，afterall.IintimatedthatYOU’Dbegunthesofteningprocess，andthatthenI’dfoundacertainotheryoungwomanwhohad——well，whohadkeptupthegoodwork.\"
\"Oh！\"criedBillysuddenly，withapeculiarintonation.\"Oh—h！\"
Thenshelaughedsoftly.
\"Well，thatwastheconfession，\"resumedCyril.\"ThenIcameoutflat—footedandsaidthatIwantedtomarryher——butthereiswhereIdidn’tgettheencouragement！\"
\"Indeed！I’mafraidIwasn’tveryconsiderate，\"stammeredBilly.
\"No，youweren’t，\"agreedCyril，moodily.\"Ididn’tknowbutnow——\"
hisvoicesoftenedalittle——\"withthisnewhappinessofyoursandBertram’sthat——youmightfindalittleencouragementforme.\"
\"AndIwill，\"criedBilly，promptly.\"Tellmeabouther.\"
\"Idid——lastwinter，\"reproachedtheman，\"andyouweresureIwasdeceivingmyself.YoudrewthegloomiestsortofpictureofthemiseryIwouldtakewithawife.\"
\"Idid？\"Billywaslaughingverymerrilynow.
\"Yes.Yousaidshe’dalwaysbetalkingandlaughingwhenIwantedtobequiet，andthatshe’dwanttodragmeouttopartiesandplayswhenIwantedtostayathome;and——oh，lotsofthings.I
triedtomakeitcleartoyouthat——thatthislittlewomanwasn’tthatsort.ButIcouldn’t，\"finishedCyril，gloomily.
\"Butofcoursesheisn’t，\"declaredBilly，withquicksympathy.
\"I——Ididn’tknow——WHAT——Iwas——talkingabout，\"sheaddedwithemphaticdistinctness.ThenshesmiledtothinkhowlittleCyrilknewhowverytruethosewordswere.\"Tellmeabouther，\"shebeggedagain.\"Iknowshemustbeverylovelyandbrilliant，andofcourseawonderfulmusician.YOUcouldn’tchooseanyoneelse！\"
TohersurpriseCyrilturnedabruptlyandbegantoplayagain.A
nervouslittlestaccatoscherzofellfromhisfingers，butitdroppedalmostatonceintoaquietermelody，andendedwithsomethingthatsoundedverymuchlikethelaststrainof\"Home，SweetHome.\"Thenhewheeledaboutonthepianostool.
\"Billy，that’sexactlywhereyou’rewrong——IDON’Twantthatkindofwife.Idon’twantabrilliantone，and——now，Billy，thissoundslikehorribleheresy，Iknow，butit’strue——Idon’tcarewhethershecanplay，ornot;butIshouldpreferthatsheshouldn’tplay——much！\"
\"Why，CyrilHenshaw！——andyou，withyourmusic！Asifyoucouldbecontentedwithawomanlikethat！\"
\"Oh，Iwanthertolikemusic，ofcourse，\"modifiedCyril;\"butI
don’tcaretohaveherMAKEit.Billy，doyouknow？You’lllaugh，ofcourse，butmypictureofawifeisalwaysonething：aroomwithatableandashadedlamp，andalittlewomanbesideitwiththelightonherhair，andagreat，basketofsewingbesideher.
YouseeIAMdomestic！\"hefinishedalittledefiantly.
\"Ishouldsayyouwere，\"laughedBilly.\"Andhaveyoufoundher？——
thislittlewomanwhoistodonothingbutsitandsewinthecircleoftheshadedlamp？\"
\"Yes，I’vefoundher，butI’mnotatallsureshe’sfoundme.
That’swhereIwantyourhelp.Oh，Idon’tmean，ofcourse，\"headded，\"thatshe’sgottositunderthatlampallthetime.It’sonlythat——thatIhopeshelikesthatsortofthing.\"
\"And——doesshe？\"
\"Yes;thatis，Ithinkshedoes，\"smiledCyril.\"Anyhow，shetoldmeoncethat——thatthethingsshelikedbesttodoinalltheworldweretomendstockingsandtomakepuddings.\"
Billysprangtoherfeetwithalittlecry.Now，indeed，hadCyrilkepthispromiseandmade\"manythingsclear\"toher.
\"Cyril，comehere，\"shecriedtremulously，leadingthewaytotheopenverandadoor.ThenextmomentCyrilwaslookingacrossthelawntothelittlesummerhouseinthemidstofBilly’srosegarden.
InfullviewwithinthesummerhousesatMarie——sewing.
\"Go，Cyril;she’swaitingforyou，\"smiledBilly，mistily.\"Thelight’sonlythesun，tobesure，andmaybethereisn’tawholebasketofsewingthere.But——SHE’Sthere！\"
\"You’ve——guessed，then！\"breathedCyril.
\"I’venotguessed——Iknow.And——it’sallright.\"
\"Youmean——？\"OnlyCyril’spleadingeyesfinishedthequestion.
\"Yes，I’msureshedoes，\"noddedBilly.Andthensheaddedunderherbreathasthemanpassedswiftlydownthesteps：\"’MarieHenshaw’indeed！So’twasCyrilallthetime——andneverBertram——
whowastheinspirationofthatbitofpapergive—away！\"
WhensheturnedbackintotheroomshecamefacetofacewithBertram.
\"Ispoke，dear，butyoudidn’thear，\"hesaid，ashehurriedforwardwithoutstretchedhands.
\"Bertram，\"greetedBilly，withsurprisingirrelevance，\"’andtheyalllivedhappilyeverafter’——theyDID！Isn’tthatalwaystheendingtothestory——alovestory？\"
\"Ofcourse，\"saidBertramwithemphasis;——\"OURlovestory！\"
\"Andtheirs，\"supplementedBilly，softly;butBertramdidnothearthat.
