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。
