\"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.
