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第36章

miss billie married-第36章

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brow。



Billy did not have an opportunity to show Cyril

how much or how little she knew about babies;

for in another minute the maid had appeared

with the extra nurse; and that young woman;

with trained celerity and easy confidence;

assumed instant command; and speedily had peace

and order restored。



Cyril; freed from responsibility; cast longing

eyes; for a moment; upon his work; but the next

minute; with a despairing glance about him; he

turned and fled precipitately。



Billy; following the direction of his eyes;

suppressed a smile。  On the top of Cyril's manuscript

music on the table lay a hot…water bottle。  Draped

over the back of his favorite chair was a pink…

bordered baby blanket。  On the piano…stool rested

a beribboned and beruffled baby's toilet basket。 

From behind the sofa pillow leered ridiculously

the Teddy bear; just as it had left Cyril's

desperate hand。



No wonder; indeed; that Billy smiled。  Billy

was thinking of what Marie had said not a week

before:



‘‘I shall keep the baby; of course; in the nursery。 

I've been in homes where they've had baby

things strewn from one end of the house to the

other; but it won't be that way here。  In the first

place; I don't believe in it; but; even if I did; I'd

have to be careful on account of Cyril。  Imagine

Cyril's trying to write his music with a baby in

the room!  No!  I shall keep the baby in the

nursery; if possible; but wherever it is; it won't

be anywhere near Cyril's den; anyway。''



Billy suppressed many a smile during the days

that immediately followed the coming of the

twins。  Some of the smiles; however; refused to

be suppressed。  They became; indeed; shamelessly

audible chuckles。



Billy was to sail the tenth; and; naturally;

during those early July days; her time was pretty

much occupied with her preparations for departure;

but nothing could keep her from frequent;

though short; visits to the home of her brother…

in…law。



The twins were proving themselves to be fine;

healthy boys。  Two trained maids; and two

trained nurses ruled the household with a rod of

iron。  As to CyrilBilly declared that Cyril

was learning something every day of his life now。



‘‘Oh; yes; he's learning things;'' she said to

Aunt Hannah; one morning; ‘‘lots of things。 

For instance: he has his breakfast now; not when

he wants it; but when the maid wants to give it

to himwhich is precisely at eight o'clock every

morning。  So he's learning punctuality。  And for

the first time in his life he has discovered the

astounding fact that there are several things

more important in the world than is the special

piece of music he happens to be composing

chiefly the twins' bath; the twins' nap; the twins'

airing; and the twins' colic。''



Aunt Hannah laughed; though she frowned;

too。



‘‘But; surely; Billy; with two nurses and the

maids; Cyril doesn't have toto''  She

came to a helpless pause。



‘‘Oh; no;'' laughed Billy; ‘‘Cyril doesn't have

to really attend to any of those thingsthough

I have seen each of the nurses; at different times;

unhesitatingly thrust a twin into his arms and

bid him hold the child till she comes back。  But

it's this way。  You see; Marie must be kept quiet;

and the nursery is very near her room。  It worries

her terribly when either of the children cries。 

Besides; the little rascals have apparently fixed up

some sort of labor…union compact with each other;

so that if one cries for something or nothing; the

other promptly joins in and helps。  So the nurses

have got into the habit of picking up the first

disturber of the peace; and hurrying him to

quarters remote; and Cyril's den being the most

remote of all; they usually fetch up there。''



‘‘You meanthey take those babies into

Cyril's den_now_?''  Even Aunt Hannah was

plainly aghast。



‘‘Yes;'' twinkled Billy。  ‘‘I fancy their

Hygienic Immaculacies approved of Cyril's bare

floors; undraped windows; and generally knick…

knackless condition。  Anyhow; they've made his

den a sort ofof annex to the nursery。''



‘‘Butbut Cyril!  What does he say?''

stammered the dumfounded Aunt Hannah。  ‘‘Think

of Cyril's standing a thing like that!  Doesn't he

do anythingor say anything?''



Billy smiled; and lifted her brows quizzically。



‘‘My dear Aunt Hannah; did you ever know

_many_ people to have the courage to ‘say things'

to one of those becapped; beaproned; bespotless

creatures of loftily superb superiority known as

trained nurses?  Besides; you wouldn't recognize

Cyril now。  Nobody would。  He's as meek as

Moses; and has been ever since his two young sons

were laid in his reluctant; trembling arms。  He

breaks into a cold sweat at nothing; and moves

about his own home as if he were a stranger and

an interloper; endured merely on sufferance in

this abode of strange women and strange babies。''



‘‘Nonsense!'' scoffed Aunt Hannah。



‘‘But it's so;'' maintained Billy; merrily。 

‘‘Now; for instance。  You know Cyril always

has been in the habit of venting his moods on the

piano (just as I do; only more so) by playing

exactly as he feels。  Well; as near as I can gather;

he was at his usual trick the next day after the

twins arrived; and you can imagine about what

sort of music it would be; after what he had been

through the preceding forty…eight hours。



‘‘Of course I don't know exactly what

happened; but JuliaMarie's second maid; you

knowtells the story。  She's been with them

long enough to know something of the way the

whole household always turns on the pivot of

the master's whims; so she fully appreciated the

situation。  She says she heard him begin to play;

and that she never heard such queer; creepy;

shivery music in her life; but that he hadn't been

playing five minutes before one of the nurses

came into the living…room where Julia was dusting;

and told her to tell whoever was playing to

stop that dreadful noise; as they wanted to take

the twins in there for their nap。



‘‘ ‘But I didn't do it; ma'am;' Julia says。  ‘I

wa'n't lookin' for losin' my place; an' I let the

young woman do the job herself。  An' she done

it; pert as you please。  An' jest as I was seekin'

a hidin'…place for the explosion; if Mr。 Henshaw

didn't come out lookin' a little wild; but as meek

as a lamb; an' when he sees me he asked wouldn't

I please get him a cup of coffee; good an' strong。 

An' I got it。'



‘‘So you see;'' finished Billy; ‘‘Cyril is

learning thingslots of things。''



‘‘Oh; my grief and conscience!  I should say

he was;'' half…shivered Aunt Hannah。  ‘‘_Cyril_

looking meek as a lamb; indeed!''



Billy laughed merrily。



‘‘Well; it must be a new experiencefor

Cyril。  For a man whose daily existence for years

has been rubber…heeled and woolen…padded; and

whose family from boyhood has stood at attention

and saluted if he so much as looked at them;

it must be quite a change; as things are now。 

However; it'll be different; of course; when Marie

is on her feet again。''



‘‘Does she know at all how things are going?''



‘‘Not very much; as yet; though I believe she

has begun to worry some。  She confided to me

one day that she was glad; of course; that she

had two darling babies; instead of one; but

that she was afraid it might be hard; just at first;

to teach them both at once to be quiet; for

she was afraid that while she was teaching one;

the other would be sure to cry; or do something

noisy。''



‘‘Do something noisy; indeed!'' ejaculated

Aunt Hannah。



‘‘As for the real state of affairs; Marie doesn't

dream that Cyril's sacred den is given over to

Teddy bears and baby blankets。  All is; I hope

she'll be measurably strong before she does find

it out;'' laughed Billy; as she rose to go。







CHAPTER XX



ARKWRIGHT'S EYES ARE OPENED





William came back from his business trip the


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