Hewasnotsurprised，therefore，whenhereceivednoreplytohisring。
ThattherewastheslightesttruthinBessieBailey’sabsurdelopement’idea，Bertramdidnot，ofcourse，foraninstantbelieve。Theonlythingthatrankledaboutthatwasthefactthatshehadsuggestedsuchathing，andthatMissWinthropandthosesillychildrenhadheardher。HerecognizedhalfofBessie’sfriendsasneighborhoodyoungsters，andheknewverywellthattherewouldbemanyaquietlaughathisexpensearoundvariousBeaconStreetdinner-
tablesthatnight。Atthethoughtofthosedinner-tables，hescowledagain。_He_hadnodinner-table——atleast，hehadnodinneronit!
WhothemanmightbeBertramthoughthecouldeasilyguess。ItwaseitherArkwrightorCalderwell，ofcourse；andprobablythattiresomeAliceGreggorywasmixedupinitsomehow。
HedidwishBilly——
Sixo’clockcame，thenhalf-past。Bertramwasindeedfrightenednow，buthewasmoreangry，andstillmorehungry。Hehad，infact，reachedthatstateofblindunreasonablenesssaidtobepeculiartohungrymalesfromtimeimmemorial。
Attenminutesofsevenakeyclickedinthelockoftheouterdoor，andWilliamandBillyenteredthehall。
Itwasalmostdark。Bertramcouldnotseetheirfaces。Hehadnotlightedthehallatall。
Well，’hebegansharply，isthisthewayyoureceiveyourcallers，Billy？IcamehomeandfoundMissWinthropjustleaving——nooneheretoreceiveher!Where’veyoubeen？Where’sEliza？Where’smydinner？OfcourseIdon’tmeantoscold，Billy，butthereisalimittoevenmypatience——andit’sreachednow。Ican’thelpsuggestingthatifyouwouldtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore，andgogallivantingoffwithCalderwellandArkwrightandAliceGreggoryalittleless，that——WhereisEliza，anyway？’hefinishedirritably，switchingonthelightswithasnap。
Therewasamomentofdeadsilence。AtBertram’sfirstwordsBillyandWilliamhadstoppedshort。Neitherhadmovedsince。NowWilliamturnedandbegantospeak，butBillyinterrupted。Shemetherhusband’sgazesteadily。
Iwillbedownatoncetogetyourdinner，’
shesaidquietly。Elizawillnotcometo-night。
Peteisdead。’
Bertramstartedforwardwithaquickcry。
Dead!Oh，Billy!Thenyouwere——_there!_
Billy!’
Buthiswifedidnotapparentlyhearhim。Shepassedhimwithoutturningherhead，andwentonupthestairs，leavinghimtomeetthesorrowful，accusingeyesofWilliam。
Theyounghusband’sapologieswereprofuseandabject。Bertramwasheartilyashamedofhimself，andwasmanenoughtoacknowledgeit。
AlmostonhiskneeshebeggedBillytoforgivehim；andinafrenzyofself-denunciationhefollowedherdownintothekitchenthatnight，piteouslybeseechinghertospeaktohim，tojust_look_athim，even，sothathemightknowhewasnotutterlydespised——thoughhedid，indeed，deservetobemorethandespised，hemoaned。
AtfirstBillydidnotspeak，orevenvouchsafeaglanceinhisdirection。Veryquietlyshewentaboutherpreparationsforasimplemeal，payingapparentlynomoreattentiontoBertramthanasifhewerenotthere。Butthatherearswereonlyseemingly，andnotreallydeaf，wasshownveryclearlyalittlelater，when，ataparticularlyabjectwailonthepartofthebabblingshadowatherheels，Billychokedintoalittlegasp，halflaughter，halfsob。Itwasalloverthen。Bertramhadherinhisarmsinatwinkling，whiletothefloorclatteredandrolledaknifeandahalf-peeledbakedpotato。
Naturally，afterthat，therecouldbenomoredignifiedsilencesonthepartoftheinjuredwife。
Therewere，instead，half-smiles，tears，sobs，atremuloustellingofPete’sgoingandhismessages，followedbyatearfullisteningtoBertram’sstoryofthetorturehehadenduredatthehandsofMissWinthrop，BessieBailey，andanempty，dinnerlesshouse。Andthus，inonecornerofthekitchen，sometimelater，ahungry，desperateWilliamfoundthem，thehalf-peeled，coldbakedpotatostillattheirfeet。
Tornbetweenhiscravingforfoodandhisdesirenottointerferewithanypossiblepeace-
making，Williamwasobviouslyhesitatingwhattodo，whenBillyglancedupandsawhim。Shesaw，too，atthesametime，theempty，blazinggas-stoveburner，andthepileofhalf-preparedpotatoes，towarmwhichtheburnerhadlongsincebeenlighted。Withalittlecryshebrokeawayfromherhusband’sarms。
Mercy!andhere’spoorUncleWilliam，blesshisheart，withnotathingtoeatyet!’
Theyallgotdinnerthen，together，withmanyasighandquick-comingtearaseverywheretheymetsomesadreminderofthegentleoldhandsthatwouldneveragainministertotheircomfort。
Itwasasilentmeal，andlittle，afterall，waseaten，thoughbraveattemptsatcheerfulnessandnaturalnessweremadebyallthree。Bertram，especially，talked，andtriedtomakesurethattheshadowonBilly’sfacewasatleastnottheonehisownconducthadbroughtthere。
Foryoudo——yousurelydoforgiveme，don’tyou？’hebegged，ashefollowedherintothekitchenafterthesorrymealwasover。
Why，yes，dear，yes，’sighedBilly，tryingtosmile。
Andyou’llforget？’
Therewasnoanswer。
Billy!Andyou’llforget？’Bertram’svoicewasinsistent，reproachful。
Billychangedcolorandbitherlip。Shelookedplainlydistressed。
Billy!’criedtheman，stillmorereproachfully。
But，Bertram，Ican’tforget——quiteyet，’
falteredBilly。
Bertramfrowned。Foraminutehelookedasifhewereabouttotakeupthematterseriouslyandargueitwithher；butthenextmomenthesmiledandtossedhisheadwithjauntyplayfulness——
Bertram，totellthetruth，hadnowhadquiteenoughofwhatheprivatelytermedscenes’andheroics’；and，manlike，hewasveryardentlylongingfortheoldeasy-goingfriendliness，withallunpleasantnessbanishedtooblivion。
Oh，butyou’llhavetoforget，’heclaimed，withcheeryinsistence，foryou’vepromisedtoforgiveme——andonecan’tforgivewithoutforgetting。
So，there!’hefinished，withasmilinglydeterminednow-everything-is-just-as-it-was-before’air。
Billymadenoresponse。Sheturnedhurriedlyandbegantobusyherselfwiththedishesatthesink。Inherheartshewaswondering：couldsheeverforgetwhatBertramhadsaid？Wouldanythingeverblotoutthoseawfulwords：Ifyouwouldtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore，andgogallivantingoffwithCalderwellandArkwrightandAliceGreggoryalittleless——’？Itseemednowthatalways，forevermore，theywouldringinherears；always，forevermore，theywouldburndeeperanddeeperintohersoul。Andnotonce，inallBertram’sapologies，hadhereferredtothem——thosewordshehaduttered。Hehadnotsaidhedidnotmeanthem。Hehadnotsaidhewassorryhespokethem。Hehadignoredthem；andheexpectedthatnowshe，too，wouldignorethem。Asifshecould!’Ifyouwouldtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore，andgogallivantingoffwithCalderwellandArkwrightandAliceGreggoryalittleless——’Oh，ifonlyshecould，indeed，——forget!
WhenBillywentup-stairsthatnightsheranacrossherTalktoYoungWives’inherdesk。
Withahalf-stifledcryshethrustitfarbackoutofsight。
Ihateyou，Ihateyou——withallyouroldtalkabout`brushingupagainstoutsideinterests’!’
shewhisperedfiercely。Well，I’ve`brushed’——andnowseewhatI’vegotforit!’
Later，however，afterBertramwasasleep，Billycreptoutofbedandgotthebook。Underthecarefullyshadedlampintheadjoiningroomsheturnedthepagessoftlytillshecametothesentence：
Perhapsitwouldbehardtofindamoreutterlyunreasonable，irritable，irresponsiblecreaturethanahungryman。’Withalongsighshebegantoread；andnotuntilsomeminuteslaterdidsheclosethebook，turnoffthelight，andstealbacktobed。
Duringthenextthreedays，untilafterthefuneralattheshabbylittleSouthBostonhouse，ElizaspentonlyabouthalfofeachdayattheStrata。This，muchtoherdistress，leftmanyofthehouseholdtasksforheryoungmistresstoperform。Billy，however，attackedeachnewdutywithafeverisheagernessthatseemedtomaketheperformanceofitverylikesomegladpenancedoneforpastmisdeeds。Andwhen——onthedayaftertheyhadlaidtheoldservantinhislastrestingplace——adespairingmessagecamefromElizatotheeffectthatnowhermotherwasveryill，andwouldneedhercare，BillypromptlytoldElizatostayaslongaswasnecessary；thattheycouldgetalongallrightwithouther。
But，Billy，what_are_wegoingtodo？’
Bertramdemanded，whenheheardthenews。Wemusthavesomebody!’
_I’m_goingtodoit。’
Nonsense!Asifyoucould!’scoffedBertram。
Billyliftedherchin。
Couldn’tI，indeed，’sheretorted。Doyourealize，youngman，howmuchI’vedonethelastthreedays？Howaboutthosemuffinsyouhadthismorningforbreakfast，andthatcakelastnight？Anddidn’tyouyourselfsaythatyouneverateabetterpuddingthanthatdatepuffyesterdaynoon？’
Bertramlaughedandshruggedhisshoulders。
Mydearlove，I’mnotquestioningyour_ability_todoit，’hesoothedquickly。Still，’headded，withawhimsicalsmile，ImustremindyouthatElizahasbeenherehalfthetime，andthatmuffinsanddatepuffs，howeverdelicious，aren’tallthereistorunningabighouselikethis。
Besides，justbesensible，Billy，’hewentonmoreseriously，ashenotedtherebelliousgleamcomingintohisyoungwife’seyes；you’dknowyoucouldn’tdoit，ifyou’djuststoptothink。There’stheCarletonscomingtodinnerMonday，andmystudioTeato-morrow，tosaynothingoftheSymphonyandtheopera，andtheconcertsyou’dlosebecauseyouweretoodeadtiredtogotothem。
YouknowhowitwaswiththatconcertyesterdayafternoonwhichAliceGreggorywantedyoutogotowithher。’
Ididn’t——want——togo，’chokedBilly，underherbreath。
Andthere’syourmusic。Youhaven’tdoneathingwiththatfordays，yetonlylastweekyoutoldmethepublisherswerehurryingyouforthatlastsongtocompletethegroup。’
Ihaven’tfeltlike——writing，’stammeredBilly，stillhalfunderherbreath。
Ofcourseyouhaven’t，’triumphedBertram。
You’vebeentoodeadtired。Andthat’sjustwhatIsay。Billy，you_can’t_doitallyourself!’
ButIwantto。Iwantto——totendtothings，’falteredBilly，withahalf-fearfulglanceintoherhusband’sface。
BillywashearingveryloudlynowthataccusingIfyou’dtendtoyourhusbandandyourhomealittlemore——’Bertram，however，wasnothearingit，evidently。Indeed，heseemednevertohaveheardit——muchlesstohavespokenit。
`Tendtothings，’’helaughedlightly。
Well，you’llhaveenoughtodototendtothemaid，Ifancy。Anyhow，we’regoingtohaveone。
I’lljuststepintooneofthose——whatdoyoucall’em？——intelligenceofficesonmywaydownandsendoneup，’hefinished，ashegavehiswifeagood-bykiss。
AnhourlaterBilly，strugglingwiththebroomandthedrawing-roomcarpet，wascalledtothetelephone。Itwasherhusband’svoicethatcametoher。
Billy，forheaven’ssake，takepityonme。
Won’tyouputonyourdudsandcomeandengageyourmaidyourself？’
Why，Bertram，what’sthematter？’
Matter？Holysmoke!Well，I’vebeentothreeofthoseintelligenceoffices——thoughwhytheycallthemthatIcan’timagine。Ifevertherewasaplaceutterlydevoidofintelligence-butnevermind!I’veinterviewedfourfatladies，twothinones，andonemediumwithawart。I’vecheerfullydivulgedallourfamilysecrets，promisedeveryotherhalf-hourout，andtakenoaththatourhouseholdnumbersthreeadultmembers，andnomore；butIsimply_can’t_rememberhowmanyhandkerchiefswehaveinthewasheachweek。Billy，willyoucome？Maybeyoucandosomethingwiththem。I’msureyoucan!’
Why，ofcourseI’llcome，’chirpedBilly。
WhereshallImeetyou？’
Bertramgavethestreetandnumber。
Good!I’llbethere，’promisedBilly，asshehungupthereceiver。
Quiteforgettingthebroominthemiddleofthedrawing-roomfloor，Billytrippedup-stairstochangeherdress。Onherlipswasagaylittlesong。Inherheartwasjoy。
Iratherguess_now_I’mtendingtomyhusbandandmyhome!’shewascrowingtoherself
