miss billie married-第14章

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still　in　that　high…pitched；　shaky　treble。　　Then；

before　Bertram　could　answer；　she　uttered　a　gay

‘‘Good…by！''　and　hung　up　the　receiver。



Billy　had　ten　whole　minutes　in　which　to　cry

before　Pete's　gong　sounded　for　dinner；　but　she

had　only　one　minute　in　which　to　try　to　efface

the　woefully　visible　effects　of　those　ten　minutes

before　William　tapped　at　her　door；　and　called：



‘‘Gone　to　sleep；　my　dear？　　Dinner's　ready。　

Didn't　you　hear　the　gong？''



‘‘Yes；　I'm　coming；　Uncle　William。''　　Billy

spoke　with　breezy　gayety；　and　threw　open　the

door；　but　she　did　not　meet　Uncle　William's　eyes。　

Her　head　was　turned　away。　　Her　hands　were

fussing　with　the　hang　of　her　skirt。



‘‘Bertram's　dining　out；　Pete　tells　me；''　observed

William；　with　cheerful　nonchalance；　as　they　went

down…stairs　together。



Billy　bit　her　lip　and　looked　up　sharply。　　She

had　been　bracing　herself　to　meet　with　disdainful

indifference　this　man's　pitythe　pity　due　a　poor

neglected　wife　whose　husband　_preferred_　to　dine

with　old　classmates　rather　than　with　herself。　

Now　she　found　in　William's　face；　not　pity；　but　a

calm；　even　jovial；　acceptance　of　the　situation　as　a

matter　of　course。　　She　had　known　she　was　going

to　hate　that　pity；　but　now；　curiously　enough；　she

was　conscious　only　of　anger　that　the　pity　was

not　therethat　she　might　hate　it。



She　tossed　her　head　a　little。　　So　even　William

Uncle　Williamregarded　this　monstrous　thing

as　an　insignificant　matter　of　everyday　experience。　

Maybe　he　expected　it　to　occur　frequentlyevery

night；　or　so。　　Doubtless　he　did　expect　it　to　occur

every　night；　or　so。　　Indeed！　　Very　well。　　As　if　she

were　going　to　show　_now_　that　she　cared　whether

Bertram　were　there　or　not！　　They　should　see。



So　with　head　held　high　and　eyes　asparkle；　Billy

marched　into　the　dining…room　and　took　her　accustomed　place。







CHAPTER　VII



THE　BIG　BAD　QUARREL





It　was　a　brilliant　dinnerbecause　Billy　made

it　so。　　At　first　William　met　her　sallies　of　wit　with

mild　surprise；　but　it　was　not　long　before　he　rose

gallantly　to　the　occasion；　and　gave　back　full

measure　of　retort。　　Even　Pete　twice　had　to　turn

his　back　to　hide　a　smile；　and　once　his　hand　shook

so　that　the　tea　he　was　carrying　almost　spilled。　

This　threatened　catastrophe；　however；　seemed　to

frighten　him　so　much　that　his　face　was　very　grave

throughout　the　rest　of　the　dinner。



Still　laughing　and　talking　gayly；　Billy　and

Uncle　William；　after　the　meal　was　over；　ascended

to　the　drawing…room。　　There；　however；　the　man；

in　spite　of　the　young　woman's　gay　badinage；　fell

to　dozing　in　the　big　chair　before　the　fire；　leaving

Billy　with　only　Spunkie　for　companySpunkie；

who；　disdaining　every　effort　to　entice　her　into　a

romp；　only　winked　and　blinked　stupid　eyes；　and

finally　curled　herself　on　the　rug　for　a　nap。



Billy；　left　to　her　own　devices；　glanced　at　her

watch。



Half…past　seven！　　Time；　almost；　for　Bertram

to　be　coming。　　He　had　said　‘‘dinner''；　and；　of

course；　after　dinner　was　over　he　would　be　coming

hometo　her。　　Very　well；　she　would　show　him

that　she　had　at　least　got　along　without　him　as

well　as　he　had　without　her。　　At　all　events　he

would　not　find　her　forlornly　sitting　with　her　nose

pressed　against　the　window…pane！　　And　forthwith

Billy　established　herself　in　a　big　chair　（with　its

back　carefully　turned　toward　the　door　by　which

Bertram　would　enter）；　and　opened　a　book。



Five；　ten；　fifteen　minutes　passed。　　Billy

fidgeted　in　her　chair；　twisted　her　neck　to　look　out

into　the　halland　dropped　her　book　with　a

bang。



Uncle　William　jerked　himself　awake；　and

Spunkie　opened　sleepy　eyes。　　Then　both　settled

themselves　for　another　nap。　　Billy　sighed；　picked

up　her　book；　and　flounced　back　into　her　chair。　

But　she　did　not　read。　　Disconsolately　she　sat

staring　straight　aheaduntil　a　quick　step　on

the　sidewalk　outside　stirred　her　into　instant　action。　

Assuming　a　look　of　absorbed　interest　she　twitched

the　book　open　and　held　it　before　her　face。　。　。　。　

But　the　step　passed　by　the　door：　and　Billy　saw

then　that　her　book　was　upside　down。



Five；　ten；　fifteen　more　minutes　passed。　　Billy

still　sat；　apparently　reading；　though　she　had　not

turned　a　page。　　The　book　now；　however；　was

right　side　up。　　One　by　one　other　minutes　passed

till　the　great　clock　in　the　hall　struck　nine　long

strokes。



‘‘Well；　well；　bless　my　soul！''　mumbled　Uncle

William；　resolutely　forcing　himself　to　wake　up。　

‘‘What　time　was　that？''



‘‘Nine　o'clock。''　　Billy　spoke　with　tragic

distinctness；　yet　very　cheerfully。



‘‘Eh？　　Only　nine？''　blinked　Uncle　William。　

‘‘I　thought　it　must　be　ten。　　Well；　anyhow；　I

believe　I'll　go　up…stairs。　　I　seem　to　be　unusually

sleepy。''



Billy　said　nothing。　　‘‘　‘Only　nine；'　indeed！''

she　was　thinking　wrathfully。



At　the　door　Uncle　William　turned。



‘‘You're　not　going　to　sit　up；　my　dear；　of

course；''　he　remarked。



For　the　second　time　that　evening　a　cold　hand

seemed　to　clutch　Billy's　heart。



_Sit　up！_　　Had　it　come　already　to　that？　　Was

she　even　now　a　wife　who　had　need　to　_sit　up_　for

her　husband？



‘‘I　really　wouldn't；　my　dear；''　advised　Uncle

William　again。　　‘‘Good　night。''



‘‘Oh；　but　I'm　not　sleepy　at　all；　yet；''　Billy

managed　to　declare　brightly。　　‘‘Good　night。''



Then　Uncle　William　went　up…stairs。



Billy　turned　to　her　book；　which　happened　to

be　one　of　William's　on　‘‘Fake　Antiques。''



‘‘　‘To　collect　anything；　these　days；　requires

expert　knowledge；　and　the　utmost　care　and

discrimination；'　''　read　Billy's　eyes。　　‘‘So　Uncle

William　_expected_　Bertram　was　going　to　spend　the

whole　evening　as　well　as　stay　to　dinner！''　ran

Billy's　thoughts。　　‘‘　‘The　enormous　quantity　of

bijouterie；　Dresden　and　Battersea　enamel　ware

that　is　now　flooding　the　market；　is　made　on　the

Continentand　made　chiefly　for　the　American

trade；'　''　continued　the　book。



‘‘Well；　who　cares　if　it　is；''　snapped　Billy；　springing

to　her　feet　and　tossing　the　volume　aside。　

‘‘Spunkie；　come　here！　　You've　simply　got　to

play　with　me。　　Do　you　hear？　　I　want　to　be　gay

_gay_GAY！　　He's　gay。　　He's　down　there　with

those　men；　where　he　wants　to　be。　　Where　he'd

_rather_　be　than　be　with　me！　　Do　you　think　I　want

him　to　come　home　and　find　me　moping　over　a

stupid　old　book？　　Not　much！　　I'm　going　to　have

him　find　me　gay；　too。　　Now；　come；　Spunkie；

hurrywake　up！　　He'll　be　here　right　away；　I'm

sure。''　　And　Billy　shook　a　pair　of　worsted　reins；

hung　with　little　soft　balls；　full　in　Spunkie's　face。



But　Spunkie　would　not　wake　up；　and　Spunkie

would　not　play。　　She　pretended　to。　　She　bit　at

the　reins；　and　sank　her　sharp　claws　into　the

dangling　balls。　　For　a　fleeting　instant；　even；

something　like　mischief　gleamed　in　her　big　yellow　eyes。　

Then　the　jaws　relaxed；　the　paws　turned　to　velvet；

and　Spunkie's　sleek　gray　head　settled　slowly　back

into　lazy　comfort。　　Spunkie　was　asleep。



Billy　gazed　at　the　cat　with　reproachful　eyes。



‘‘And　you；　too；　Spunkie；''　she　murmured。　

Then　she　got　to　her　feet　and　went　back　to　her

chair。　　This　time　she　picked　up　a　magazine　and

began　to　turn　the　leaves　very　fast；　one　after　another。



Half…past　nine　came；　then　ten。　　Pete　appeared

at　the　door　to　get　Spunkie；　and　to　see　that　everything

was　all　right　for　the　night。



‘‘Mr。　Bertram　is　not　in　yet？''　he　began　doubtfully。



Billy　shook　her　head　with　a　bright　smile。



‘‘No；　Pete。　　Go　to　bed。　　I　expect　him　every

minute。　　Good　night。''



‘‘Thank　you；　ma'am。　　Good　night。''



The　old　man　picked　up　the　sleepy　cat　and　went

down…stairs。　　A　little　later　Billy　heard　his　quiet

steps　coming　back　through　the　hall　and　ascending

the　stairs。　　She　listened　until　from　away　at　the

top　of　the　house　she　heard　his　door　close。　　Then

she　drew　a　long　breath。



Ten　o'clockafter　ten　o'clock；　and　Bertram

not　there　yet！　　And　was　this　what　he　called　dinner？　

Did　one　eat；　then；　till　ten　o'clock；　when　one

dined　w