Bertramwasnotquitehimselfthatnight。Billyadmittedthem。Shehadplainlybeenwatchingandwaiting。Arkwrightneverforgotthelookonherfaceashereyesmethis。Therewasacuriousmixtureofterror，hurtpride，relief，andshame，overtoppedbyafierceloyaltywhichalmostseemedtosayaloudthewords：Don’tyoudaretoblamehim!’
Arkwright’sheartachedwithsympathyandadmirationattheproudlycourageouswayinwhichBillycarriedoffthenextfewpainfulminutes。Evenwhenhebadehergoodnightalittlelater，onlyhereyessaidthankyou。’Herlipsweredumb。
ArkwrightoftenwenthomewithBertramafterthat。Notthatitwasalwaysnecessary——
farfromit。Sometime，indeed，elapsedbeforehehadquitethesameexcuseagainforhispresence。
ButhehadfoundthatoccasionallyhecouldgetBertramhomeearlierbyadroitsuggestionsofonekindoranother；andmoreandmorefrequentlyhewassucceedingingettinghimhomeforagameofchess。
Bertramlikedchess，andwasafineplayer。
Sincebreakinghisarmhehadturnedtogameswiththefeverisheagernessofonewholooksforsomethingabsorbingtofillanunrestfulmind。
ItwasSeaver’sskillinchessthathadatfirstattractedBertramtothemanlongago；butBertramcouldbeathimeasily——tooeasilyformuchpleasureinitnow。Sotheydidnotplaychessoftenthesedays。Bertramhadfoundthat，inspiteofhisinjury，hecouldstilltakepartinothergames，andsomeofthem，ifnotsointricateaschess，wereatleastmoreapttotakehismindoffhimself，especiallyiftherewereabitofmoneyuptoaddzestandinterest。
Asithappened，however，BertramlearnedonedaythatArkwrightcouldplaychess——andplaywell，too，ashediscoveredaftertheirfirstgametogether。ThisfactcontributednotalittletosuchsuccessasArkwrightwashavinginhiseffortstoweanBertramfromhisundesirablecompanions；forBertramsoonfoundoutthatArkwrightwasmorethanamatchforhimself，andtheoccasionalgameshedidsucceedinwinningonlywhettedhisappetiteformore。
Manyaneveningnow，therefore，wasspentbythetwomeninBertram’sden，withBillyanxiouslyhoveringnear，hereyeslonginglywatchingeitherherhusband’sabsorbedfaceortheprettylittleredandwhiteivoryfigures，whichseemedtopossesssowonderfulapowertoholdhisattention。Inspiteofherjoyatthechessmen’sefficacyinkeepingBertramathome，however，shewasalmostjealousofthem。
Mr。Arkwright，couldn’tyoushow_me_howtoplay，sometime？’shesaidwistfully，oneevening，whenthemomentaryabsenceofBertramhadleftthetwoalonetogether。IusedtowatchBertramandMarieplayyearsago；butIneverknewhowtoplaymyself。NotthatI
canseewherethefunisinjustsittingstaringatachessboardforhalfanhouratatime，though!
ButBertramlikesit，andsoI——Iwanttolearntostarewithhim。Willyouteachme？’
Ishouldbegladto，’smiledArkwright。
Thenwillyoucome，maybe，sometimeswhenBertramisatthedoctor’s？HegoeseveryTuesdayandFridayatthreeo’clockfortreatment。
I’dratheryoucamethenfortworeasons：
first，becauseIdon’twantBertramtoknowI’mlearning，tillIcanplay_some_；and，secondly，because——becauseIdon’twanttotakeyouaway——fromhim。’
Thelastwordswerespokenverylow，andwereaccompaniedbyapainfulblush。ItwasthefirsttimeBillyhadeverhintedtoArkwright，inwords，thatsheunderstoodwhathewastryingtodo。
I’llcomenextTuesday，’promisedArkwright，withacheerfullyunobservantair。ThenBertramcamein，bringingthebookofChessProblems，forwhichhehadgoneup-stairs。
Promptlyatthreeo’clockTuesdayafternoonArkwrightappearedattheStrata，andforthenexthourBillydidherbesttolearnthenamesandthemovesoftheprettylittleivorymen。
Butattheendofthehourshewasalmostreadytogiveupindespair。
Ifthereweren’tsomanykinds，andiftheydidn’tallinsistondoingsomethingdifferent，itwouldn’tbesobad，’shesighed。Buthowcanyoubeexpectedtorememberwhichgoesdiagonal，andwhichcrisscross，andwhichcan’tgobutonesquare，andwhichcanskip’wayacrosstheboard，’speciallywhenthatlittlepawn-thingcangostraightahead_two_squaressometimes，andthenextminuteonlyone(exceptwhenittakesthings，andthenitgoescrookedonesquare)
andwhenthattiresomelittlehorsetriestogoallwaysatonce，andcanjump’roundandhurdleover_anybody’s_head，eventheking’s——howcanyouexpectfolkstoremember？But，then，Bertramremembers，’sheadded，resolutely，soI
guessIcan。’
Wheneverpossible，afterthat，ArkwrightcameonTuesdaysandFridays，and，inspiteofherdoubts，Billydidverysoonbegintoremember。’
SpurredbyhergreatdesiretoplaywithBertramandsurprisehim，Billysparednopainstolearnwellherlessons。Evenamongthebaby’sbooksandplaythingsthesedaysmightbefoundaManualofChess，’forBillypursuedherstudyatallhours；andsomenightsevenherdreamswereofruined，castleswherekingsandqueensandbishopsdisportedthemselves，withpawnsforservants，andwhereaweirdknightonhorsebackusedthecastle’shighesttowerforahurdle，landingalwaysahundredyardstoonesideofwherehewouldbeexpectedtocomedown。
Itwasnotlong，ofcourse，beforeBillycouldplayagameofchess，afterafashion，butsheknewjustenoughtorealizethatsheactuallyknewnothing；andsheknew，too，thatuntilshecouldplayareallygoodgame，hermoveswouldnotholdBertram’sattentionforoneminute。
Notatpresent，therefore，wasshewillingBertramshouldknowwhatshewasattemptingtodo。
BillyhadnotyetlearnedwhatthegreatsurgeonhadsaidtoBertram。Sheknewonlythathisarmwasnobetter，andthathenevervoluntarilyspokeofhispainting。Overhernowseemedtobehangingavaguehorror。Somethingwasthematter。Sheknewthat。Butwhatitwasshecouldnotfathom。SherealizedthatArkwrightwastryingtohelp，andhergratitude，thoughsilent，knewnobounds。NoteventoAuntHannahorUncleWilliamcouldshespeakofthisthingthatwastroublingher。Thatthey，too，understood，inameasure，sherealized。Butstillshesaidnoword。Billywaswearingaproudlittleairofaloofnessthesedaysthatwasheart-
breakingtothosewhosawitandreaditarightforwhatitwas：loyaltytoBertram，nomatterwhathappened。AndsoBillyporedoverherchessboardfeverishly，tirelessly，havingeverbeforeherlongingeyesthedeartimewhenBertram，acrossthetablefromher，shouldsithappilystaringforhalfanhouratamoveshehadmade。
WhateverBilly’schess-playingwastosignify，however，inherownlife，itwasdestinedtoplayapartinthelivesoftwofriendsofhersthatwasmostunexpected。
DuringBilly’sveryfirstlesson，asitchanced，AliceGreggorycalledandfoundBillyandArkwrightsoabsorbedintheirgamethattheydidnotatfirsthearElizaspeakhername。
ThequickcolorthatflewtoArkwright’sfaceatsightofherselfwasconstruedatoncebyAliceasembarrassmentonhispartatbeingfoundt
te--ttewithBertramHenshaw’swife。Andshedidnotlikeit。Shewasnotpleasedthathewasthere。Shewaslesspleasedthatheblushedforbeingthere。
ItsohappenedthatAlicefoundhimthereagainseveraltimes。Alicegaveapianolessonattwoo’clockeveryTuesdayandFridayafternoontoalittleBeaconStreetneighborofBilly’s，andshehadfallenintothehabitofsteppingintoseeBillyforafewminutesafterward，whichbroughtherthereatalittlepastthree，justafterthechesslessonwaswellstarted。
If，thefirsttimethatAliceGreggoryfoundArkwrightoppositeBillyatthechess-table，shewassurprisedanddispleased，thesecondandthirdtimesshewasmuchmoreso。Whenitfinallycametoheronedaywithsickeningillumination，thatalwaysthette--tteswereduringBertram’shouratthedoctor’s，shewasappalled。
Whatcoulditmean？HadArkwrightgivenuphisfight？WasheplayingfalsetohimselfandtoBertrambytryingthus，onthesly，towintheloveofhisfriend’swife？Wasthisman，whomshehadsoadmiredforhisbravestand，andtowhomallunaskedshehadgivenherheart’sbestlove(morethepityofit!)——wasthisidolofherstoshowfeetofclay，afterall？Shecouldnotbelieveit。Andyet——
Sickatheart，butimbuedwiththedeterminationofarighteouscause，AliceGreggoryresolved，forBilly’ssake，towatchandwait。Ifnecessarysheshouldspeaktosomeone——thoughtowhomshedidnotknow。Billy’shappinessshouldnotbeputinjeopardyifshecouldhelpit。
Indeed，no!
Astheweekspassed，Alicecametobemoreandmoreuneasy，distressed，andgrieved。OfBillyshecouldbelievenoevil；butofArkwrightshewasbeginningtothinkshecouldbelieveeverythingthatwasdishonorableanddespicable。
Andtobelievethatofthemanshestillloved——
nowonderthatAlicedidnotlooknoractlikeherselfthesedays。
Incensedatherselfbecauseshedidlovehim，angryathimbecauseheseemedtobeprovinghimselfsounworthyofthatlove，andgenuinelyfrightenedatwhatshethoughtwasthefast-
approachingwreckofallhappinessforherdearfriend，Billy，Alicedidnotknowwhichwaytoturn。Atthefirstshehadtoldherselfconfidentlythatshewouldspeaktosomebody。’But，astimepassed，shesawtheimpracticabilityofthatidea。Speaktosomebody，indeed!Towhom？
When？Where？Whatshouldshesay？Wherewasherrighttosayanything？Shewasnotdealingwithaparcelofnaughtychildrenwhohadpilferedthecakejar!Shewasdealingwithgrownmenandwomen，who，presumedly，knewtheirownaffairs，andwho，certainly，wouldresentanyinterferencefromher。Ontheotherhand，couldshestandcalmlybyandseeBertramlosehiswife，Arkwrighthishonor，Billyherhappiness，andherselfherfaithinhumannature，allbecausetodootherwisewouldbetomeddleinotherpeople’sbusiness？Apparentlyshecould，andshould。Atleastthatseemedtobetherlewhichshewasexpectedtoplay。
ItwaswhenAlicehadreachedthisunhappyframeofmindthatArkwrighthimselfunexpectedlyopenedthedoorforher。
ThetwowerealonetogetherinBertramHenshaw’sden。ItwasTuesdayafternoon。AlicehadcalledtofindBillyandArkwrightdeepintheirusualgameofchess。ThenamatterofdomesticaffairshadtakenBillyfromtheroom。
I’mafraidI’llhavetobegonetenminutes，ormore，’shehadsaid，assherosefromthetablereluctantly。ButyoumightbeshowingAlicethemoves，Mr。Arkwright，’shehadadded，withalaugh，asshedisappeared。
ShallIteachyouthemoves？’hehadsmiled，whentheywerealonetogether。
Alice’sreplyhadbeensoindignantlyshortandsharpthatArkwright，afteramoment’spause，hadsaid，withawhimsicalsmilethatyetcarriedatouchofsadness：
Iamforcedtosurmisefromyouranswerthatyouthinkitis_you_whoshouldbeteaching_me_moves。Atallevents，Iseemtohavebeenmakingsomemoveslatelythathavenotsuitedyou，judgingbyyouractions。HaveIoffendedyouinanyway，Alice？’
Thegirlturnedwithaquickliftingofherhead。
Aliceknewthatifeversheweretospeak，itmustbenow。Neveragaincouldshehopeforsuchanopportunityasthis。Suddenlythrowingcircumspectcautionquiteaside，shedeterminedthatshewouldspeak。SpringingtoherfeetshecrossedtheroomandseatedherselfinBilly’schairatthechess-table。
Me!Offendme!’sheexclaimed，inalowvoice。AsifIweretheoneyouwereoffending!’
Why，_Alice!_’murmuredtheman，inobviousstupefaction。
Aliceraisedherhand，palmoutward。
Nowdon’t，_please_don’tpretendyoudon’tknow，’shebegged，almostpiteously。Pleasedon’taddthattoalltherest。Oh，Iunderstand，ofcourse，it’snoneofmyaffairs，andIwasn’tgoingtospeak，’shechoked；but，to-day，whenyougavemethischance，Ihadto。AtfirstI
couldn’tbelieveit，’sheplungedon，plainlyhurryingagainstBilly’sreturn。Afterallyou’dtoldmeofhowyoumeanttofightit——yourtigerskin。AndIthoughtitmerely_happened_
thatyouwereherealonewithherthosedaysI
came。Then，whenIfoundouttheywere_always_
thedaysMr。Henshawwasawayatthedoctor’s，Ihadtobelieve。’
Shestoppedforbreath。Arkwright，who，uptothismomenthadshownthathewascompletelymystifiedastowhatshewastalkingabout，suddenlyflushedapainfulred。Hewasobviouslyabouttospeak，butshepreventedhimwithaquickgesture。