Why，youknewMrs。GreggoryandAlice，ofcourse——andPete，’smiledMarie。Andwasn’tPetehappy？Billysaysshe’dhavehadPeteifshehadnooneelse；thattherewouldn’thavebeenanywedding，anyway，ifithadn’tbeenforhistelephoningAuntHannahthatnight。’
　　Yes；Willtoldme。’
　　AsforTommyandtheothers——mostofthemwerethosepeoplethatBillyhadatherhomelastsummerforatwoweeks’vacation——
　　people，youknow，toopoortogivethemselvesone，andtooproudtoacceptonefromordinarycharity。Billy’sbeenfollowingthemupanddoinglittlethingsforthemeversince——sugarplumsandfrostingontheircake，shecallsit；andtheyadoreher，ofcourse。Ithinkitwaslovelyofhertohavethem，andtheydidhavesuchagoodtime!YoushouldhaveseenTommywhenyouplayedthatweddingmarchforBillytoentertheroom。HispoorlittlefacewassotransfiguredwithjoythatIalmostcried，justtolookathim。
　　Billysayshelovesmusic——poorlittlefellow!’
　　Well，Ihopethey’llbehappy，inspiteofKate’sdolefulprophecies。Certainlytheylookedhappyenoughto-day，’declaredCyril，pattingayawnasherosetohisfeet。IfancyWillandAuntHannaharelonesome，though，aboutnow，’
　　headded。
　　Yes，’smiledMarie，mistily，asshegatheredupherwork。IknowwhatAuntHannah’sdoing。She’shelpingRosaputthehousetorights，andshe’sstoppingtocryovereveryslipperandhandkerchiefofBilly’sshefinds。Andshe’lldothatuntilthatfunnyclockofhersstrikestwelve，thenshe’llsay`Oh，mygriefandconscience——midnight!’Butthenextminuteshe’llrememberthatit’sonlyhalf-pasteleven，afterall，andshe’llsendRosatobedandsitpattingBilly’sslipperinherlaptillitreallyismidnightbyalltheotherclocks。’
　　Cyrillaughedappreciatively。
　　Well，IknowwhatWillisdoing，’hedeclared。
　　WillisinBertram’sdendozingbeforethefireplacewithSpunkiecurledupinhislap。’
　　Asithappened，boththesesurmiseswerenotfarfromright。IntheStrata，theHenshaws’oldBeaconStreethome，Williamwassittingbeforethefireplacewiththecatinhislap，buthewasnotdozing。Hewastalking。
　　Spunkie，’hewassaying，yourmaster，Bertram，gotmarriedto-day——andtoMissBilly。He’llbebringingherhomeoneofthesedays——yournewmistress。Andsuchamistress!
　　Neverdidcatorhousehaveabetter!
　　Justthink；forthefirsttimeinyearsthisoldplaceistoknowthetouchofawoman’shand——andthat’swhatithasn’tknownforalmosttwentyyears，exceptforthosefewshortmonthssixyearsagowhenadark-eyedgirlandalittlegraykittenthatwasSpunk，yourpredecessor，youknowblewinandblewoutagainbeforewescarcelyknewtheywerehere。ThatgirlwasMissBilly，andshewasadearthen，justassheisnow，onlynowshe’scomingheretostay。She’scominghome，Spunkie；andshe’llmakeitahomeforyou，forme，andforallofus。Uptonow，youknow，ithasn’treallybeenahome，foryears——justusmen，so。It’llbeverydifferent，Spunkie，asyou’llsoonfindout。Nowmind，madam!Wemustshowthatweappreciateallthis：notempers，notantrums，noshowingofclaws，noleavingourcoats——eitheryoursormine——onthedrawing-roomchairs，notrackinginofmudoncleanrugsandfloors!Forwe’regoingtohaveahome，Spunkie——ahome!’
　　AtHillside，AuntHannahwas，indeed，helpingRosatoputthehousetorights，asMariehadsaid。Shewascrying，too，overagloveshehadfoundonBilly’spiano；butshewascryingoversomethingelse，also。NotonlyhadshelostBilly，butshehadlostherhome。
　　Tobesure，nothinghadbeensaidduringthatnightmareofaweekofhurryandconfusionaboutAuntHannah’sfuture；butAuntHannahknewverywellhowitmustbe。ThisdearlittlehouseonthesideofCoreyHillwasBilly’shome，andBillywouldnotneeditanylonger。Itwouldbesold，ofcourse；andshe，AuntHannah，wouldgobacktoasecond-storyfront’andlonelinessinsomeBackBayboarding-house；andasecondstoryfrontandlonelinesswouldnotbeeasynow，aftertheseyearsofhome——andBilly。
　　Nowonder，indeed，thatAuntHannahsatcryingandpattingthelittlewhitegloveinherhand。Nowonder，too，that——beingAuntHannah——
　　shereachedfortheshawlnearbyandputiton，shiveringly。EvenJuly，to-night，wascold——toAuntHannah。
　　InyetanotherhomethateveningwastheweddingofBillyNeilsonandBertramHenshawuppermostinthoughtandspeech。InacertainlittleSouth-Endflatwhere，intworentedrooms，livedAliceGreggoryandhercrippledmother，AlicewastalkingtoMr。M。J。Arkwright，commonlyknowntohisfriendsasMaryJane，’
　　owingtothemysteryinwhichhehadforsolongshroudedhisname。
　　Arkwrightto-nightwasplainlymoodyandillatease。
　　You’renotlistening。You’renotlisteningatall，’complainedAliceGreggoryatlast，reproachfully。
　　Withavisibleeffortthemanrousedhimself。
　　IndeedIam，’hemaintained。
　　Ithoughtyou’dbeinterestedinthewedding。Youusedtobefriends——youandBilly。’
　　Thegirl’svoicestillvibratedwithreproach。
　　Therewasamoment’ssilence；then，alittleharshly，themansaid：
　　Perhaps——becauseIwantedtobemorethan——afriend——iswhyyou’renotsatisfiedwithmyinterestnow。’
　　AlookthatwasalmostterrorcametoAliceGreggory’seyes。Sheflushedpainfully，thengrewverywhite。
　　Youmean——’
　　Yes，’henoddeddully，withoutlookingup。
　　Icaredtoomuchforher。IsupposedHenshawwasjustafriend——tilltoolate。’
　　Therewasabreathlesshushbefore，alittleunsteadily，thegirlstammered：
　　Oh，I’msosorry——soverysorry!I——I
　　didn’tknow。’
　　No，ofcourseyoudidn’t。I’vealmosttoldyou，though，lotsoftimes；you’vebeensogoodtomealltheseweeks。’Heraisedhisheadnow，andlookedather，frankcomradeshipinhiseyes。
　　Thegirlstirredrestlessly。Hereyesswervedalittleunderhislevelgaze。
　　Oh，butI’vedonenothing——n-nothing，’shestammered。Then，atthelighttapofcrutchesonabarefloorsheturnedinobviousrelief。
　　Oh，here’smother。She’sbeeninvisitingwithMrs。Delano，ourlandlady。Mother，Mr。Arkwrightishere。’
　　Meanwhile，speedingnorthasfastassteamcouldcarrythem，werethebrideandgroom。
　　Thewondrousnessofthefirsthouroftheirjourneysidebysidehadbecomeajoyouscertitudethatalwaysitwastobelikethisnow。
　　Bertram，’beganthebride，afteralongminuteofeloquentsilence。
　　Yes，love。’
　　Youknowourweddingwasverydifferentfrommostweddings。’
　　Ofcourseitwas!’
　　Yes，but_really_itwas。Nowlisten。’Thebride’svoicegrewtenderlyearnest。Ithinkourmarriageisgoingtobedifferent，too。’
　　Different？’
　　Yes。’Billy’stonewasemphatic。Therearesomanycommon，everydaymarriageswhere——where——Why，Bertram，asifyoucouldeverbetomelike——likeMr。Carletonis，forinstance!’
　　LikeMr。Carletonis——toyou？’Bertram’svoicewasfranklypuzzled。
　　No，no!AsMr。CarletonistoMrs。Carleton，Imean。’
　　Oh!’Bertramsubsidedinrelief。
　　AndtheGrahamsandWhartons，andtheFreddieAgnews，and——andalotofothers。
　　Why，Bertram，I’veseentheGrahamsandtheWhartonsnotevenspeaktoeachotherawholeevening，whenthey’vebeenatadinner，orsomething；andI’veseenMrs。Carletonnotevenseemtoknowherhusbandcameintotheroom。
　　Idon’tmeanquarrel，dear。Ofcoursewe’dnever_quarrel!_ButImeanI’msureweshallnevergetusedto——toyoubeingyou，andIbeingI。’
　　Indeedwesha’n’t，’agreedBertram，rapturously。
　　Oursisgoingtobesuchabeautifulmarriage!’
　　Ofcourseitwillbe。’
　　Andwe’llbesohappy!’
　　Ishallbe，andIshalltrytomakeyouso。’
　　AsifIcouldbeanythingelse，’sighedBilly，blissfully。Andnowwe_can’t_haveanymisunderstandings，yousee。’
　　Ofcoursenot。Er——what’sthat？’
　　Why，Imeanthat——thatwecan’teverrepeathosemiserableweeksofmisunderstanding。
　　Everythingisallexplainedup。I_know_，now，thatyoudon’tloveMissWinthrop，orjustgirls——anygirl——topaint。Youloveme。Notthetiltofmychin，northeturnofmyhead；but_me_。’
　　Ido——justyou。’Bertram’seyesgavethecaresshislipswouldhavegivenhaditnotbeenforthepresenceofthemanintheseatacrosstheaisleofthesleeping-car。
　　Andyou——youknownowthatIloveyou——justyou？’
　　NotevenArkwright？’
　　NotevenArkwright，’smiledBilly。
　　Therewasthebriefestofhesitations；then，alittleconstrainedly，Bertramasked：
　　Andyousaidyou——younever_had_caredforArkwright，didn’tyou？’
　　ForthesecondtimeinherlifeBillywasthankfulthatBertram’squestionhadturnedupon_her_
　　loveforArkwright，notArkwright’sloveforher。
　　InBilly’sopinion，aman’sunrequitedloveforagirlwashissecret，nothers，andwascertainlyonethatthegirlhadnorighttotell。OncebeforeBertramhadaskedherifshehadevercaredforArkwright，andthenshehadansweredemphatically，asshedidnow：
　　Never，dear。’
　　Ithoughtyousaidso，’murmuredBertram，relaxingalittle。
　　Idid；besides，didn’tItellyou？’shewentonairily，Ithinkhe’llmarryAliceGreggory。
　　AlicewrotemeallthetimeIwasaway，and——
　　oh，shedidn’tsayanythingdefinite，I’lladmit，’
　　confessedBilly，withanarchsmile；butshespokeofhisbeingtherelots，andtheyusedtoknoweachotheryearsago，yousee。Therewasalmostaromancethere，Ithink，beforetheGreggoryslosttheirmoneyandmovedawayfromalltheirfriends。’
　　Well，hemayhaveher。She’sanicegirl——
　　amightynicegirl，’answeredBertram，withtheunmistakablysatisfiedairofthemanwhoknowshehimselfpossessesthenicestgirlofthemall。
　　Billy，readingunerringlythetriumphinhisvoice，grewsuddenlygrave。Sheregardedherhusbandwithathoughtfulfrown；thenshedrewaprofoundsigh。
　　Whew!’laughedBertram，whimsically。Sosoonasthis？’
　　Bertram!’Billy’svoicewastragic。
　　Yes，mylove。’Thebridegroompulledhisfaceintosobriety；thenBillyspoke，withsolemnimpressiveness。
　　Bertram，Idon’tknowathingabout——
　　cooking——exceptwhatI’vebeenlearninginRosa’scook-bookthislastweek。’
　　Bertramlaughedsoloudthatthemanacrosstheaisleglancedoverthetopofhispapersurreptitiously。
　　Rosa’scook-book!Isthatwhatyouweredoingallthisweek？’
　　Yes；thatis——Itriedsohardtolearnsomething，’stammeredBilly。ButI’mafraidIdidn’t——much；thereweresomanythingsformetothinkof，youknow，withonlyaweek。IbelieveI_could_makepeachfritters，though。TheywerethelastthingI
　　studied。’
　　Bertramlaughedagain，uproariously；but，atBilly’sunchanginglytragicface，hegrewsuddenlyverygraveandtender。
　　Billy，dear，Ididn’tmarryyouto——togetacook，’hesaidgently。