And，withasmilethatwasmeanttobequizzical，Williamturnedandbegantoshifttheteapotsaboutagain。
　　But，Mr。William，why——thatis，whatwillMr。BertramandMissBillydo——withoutyou？’
　　venturedtheoldman。
　　Therewasasuddentinklingcrash。Onthefloorlaythefragmentsofasilver-lusterteapot。
　　Theservantexclaimedaloudindismay，buthismasterdidnotevenglancetowardhisoncetreasuredpossessiononthefloor。
　　Nonsense，Pete!’hewassayinginaparticularlycheeryvoice。Haveyoulivedalltheseyearsandnotfoundoutthatnewly-marriedfolksdon’t_need_anyoneelsearound？Come，doyousupposewecouldbegintopacktheseteapotsto-night？’headded，alittlefeverishly。
　　Aren’ttheresomeboxesdowncellar？’
　　I’llsee，sir，’saidPete，respectfully；buttheexpressiononhisfaceasheturnedawayshowedthathewasnotthinkingofteapots——norofboxesinwhichtopackthem。
　　Mr。andMrs。BertramHenshawwereexpectedhomethefirstofSeptember。Bythethirty-firstofAugusttheoldBeaconStreethomesteadfacingthePublicGardenwasinspick-and-spanorder，withDongLinginthebasementhoveringoverawell-stockedlarder，andPetesearchingtherestofthehouseforachairawry，orabitofdustundiscovered。
　　TwicebeforehadtheStrata——asBertramlongagodubbedthehomeofhisboyhood——
　　beenpreparedforthecomingofBilly，William’snamesake：once，whenithadbeendecoratedwithgunsandfishing-rodstowelcometheboy’
　　whoturnedouttobeagirl；andagainwhenwithpinkrosesandsewing-basketsthethreebrothersgotjoyouslyreadyforafeminineBillywhodidnotevencomeatall。
　　Thehousehadbeenverydifferentthen。Ithadbeen，indeed，astrata，’withitsdistinctivelayersoffadsandpursuitsasrepresentedbyBertramandhispaintingononefloor，Williamandhiscuriosonanother，andCyrilwithhismusiconathird。Cyrilwasgonenow。OnlyPeteandhishumblebelongingsoccupiedthetopfloor。Thefloorbelow，too，wassilentnow，andalmostemptysaveforarugortwo，andafewpiecesofheavyfurniturethatWilliamhadnotcaredtotakewithhimtohisnewquartersontopofBeaconHill。Belowthis，however，cameBilly’soldrooms，andonthesePetehadlavishedallhisskillanddevotion。
　　Freshlylaunderedcurtainswereatthewindows，dustlessrugswereonthefloor。Theoldwork-baskethadbeenbroughtdownfromthetop-floorstoreroom，andthelong-closedpianostoodinvitinglyopen。Inaconspicuousplace，also，satthelittlegreengod，uponwhoseexquisitelycarvedshoulderswassupposedtoresttheheapplentyvellygoodluckee’ofDongLing’sprophecy。
　　OnthefirstfloorBertram’soldroomsandthedrawing-roomcameinfortheirshareofthegeneraloverhauling。EvenSpunkiedidnotescape，buthadtosubmittotheignominyofabath。AndthendawnedfairandclearthefirstdayofSeptember，bringingatfiveo’clockthebrideandgroom。
　　RespectfullylinedupinthehalltomeetthemwerePeteandDongLing：Petewithhiswrinkledoldfacealightwithjoyandexcitement；DongLinggrinningandkotowing，andchantinginahigh-pitchedtreble：
　　MissBillee，MissBillee——plentymuchwelcome，MissBillee!’
　　Yes，welcomehome，Mrs。_Henshaw!_’bowedBertram，turningatthedoor，withanelaborateflourishthatdidnotintheleasthidehistenderprideinhisnewwife。
　　Billylaughedandcoloredaprettypink。
　　Thankyou——allofyou，’shecriedalittleunsteadily。Andhowgood，goodeverythingdoeslooktome!Why，where’sUncleWilliam？’
　　shebrokeoff，castinghurriedlyanxiouseyesabouther。
　　Well，Ishouldsayso，’echoedBertram。
　　Whereishe，Pete？Heisn’tsick，ishe？’
　　Aquickchangecrossedtheoldservant’sface。
　　Heshookhisheaddumbly。
　　Billygaveagleefullaugh。
　　Iknow——he’sasleep!’shecaroled，skippingtothebottomofthestairwayandlookingupHo，UncleWilliam!Betterwakeup，sir。Thefolkshavecome!’
　　Peteclearedhisthroat。
　　Mr。Williamisn’there，Miss——ma’am，’hecorrectedmiserably。
　　Billysmiled，butshefrowned，too。
　　Nothere!Well，Ilikethat，’shepouted；——
　　andwhenI’vebroughthimthemostbeautifulpairofmirrorknobsheeversaw，andallthewayinmybag，too，soIcouldgivethemtohimtheveryfirstthing，’sheadded，dartingovertothesmallbagshehadbroughtinwithher。I’mgladIdid，too，forourtrunksdidn’tcome，’shecontinuedlaughingly。Still，ifheisn’theretoreceivethem——There，Pete，aren’ttheybeautiful？’
　　shecried，carefullytakingfromtheirwrappingstwoexquisitelydecoratedporcelaindiscsmountedontwolongspikes。They’reBatterseas——
　　therealarticle。Iknowenoughforthat；andthey’refinerthananythinghe’sgot。
　　Won’thebepleased？’
　　Yes，Miss——ma’am，Imean，’stammeredtheoldman。
　　Thesenewtitlescomehard，don’tthey，Pete？’laughedBertram。
　　Petesmiledfaintly。
　　Nevermind，Pete，’soothedhisnewmistress。
　　Youshallcallme`MissBilly’allyourlifeifyouwantto。Bertram，’sheadded，turningtoherhusband，I’mgoingtojustrunup-stairsandputtheseinUncleWilliam’sroomssothey’llbetherewhenhecomesin。We’llseehowsoonhediscoversthem!’
　　BeforePetecouldstophershewashalf-wayupthefirstflightofstairs。Eventhenhetriedtospeaktohisyoungmaster，toexplainthatMr。Williamwasnotlivingthere；butthewordsrefusedtocome。Hecouldonlystanddumblywaiting。
　　Inaminuteitcame——Billy’ssharp，startledcry。
　　Bertram!Bertram!’
　　Bertramsprangforthestairway，buthehadnotreachedthetopwhenhemethiswifecomingdown。Shewaswhite-facedandtrembling。
　　Bertram——thoserooms——there’snotsomuchasateapotthere!UncleWilliam’s——
　　gone!’
　　Gone!’Bertramwheeledsharply。Pete，whatisthemeaningofthis？Whereismybrother？’Tohearhim，onewouldthinkhesuspectedtheoldservantofhavinghiddenhismaster。
　　Peteliftedashakinghandandfumbledwithhiscollar。
　　He’smoved，sir。’
　　Moved!Oh，youmeantootherrooms——toCyril’s。’Bertramrelaxedvisibly。He’supstairs，maybe。’
　　Peteshookhishead。
　　No。sir。He’smovedaway——outofthehouse，sir。’
　　ForabriefmomentBertramstaredasifhecouldnotbelievewhathisearshadheard。Then，stepbystep，hebegantodescendthestairs。
　　Doyoumean——tosay——thatmybrother——hasmoved-goneaway——_left_——his_home？_’
　　hedemanded。
　　Yes，sir。’
　　Billygavealowcry。
　　Butwhy——why？’shechoked，almoststumblingheadlongdownthestairwayinherefforttoreachthetwomenatthebottom。Pete，whydidhego？’
　　Therewasnoanswer。
　　Pete，’——Bertram’svoicewasverysharp——
　　whatisthemeaningofthis？Doyouknowwhymybrotherlefthishome？’
　　Theoldmanwethislipsandswallowedchokingly，buthedidnotspeak。
　　I’mwaiting，Pete。’
　　Billylaidonehandontheoldservant’sarm——intheotherhandshestilltightlyclutchedthemirrorknobs。
　　Pete，ifyoudoknow，won’tyoutellus，please？’shebegged。
　　Petelookeddownatthehand，thenupatthetroubledyoungfacewiththebeseechingeyes。
　　Hisownfeaturesworkedconvulsively。Withavisibleeffortheclearedhisthroat。
　　Iknow——whathesaid，’hestammered，hiseyesaverted。
　　Whatwasit？’
　　Therewasnoanswer。
　　Lookhere，Pete，you’llhavetotellus，youknow，’cutinBertram，decisively，soyoumightaswelldoitnowasever。’
　　OncemorePeteclearedhisthroat。Thistimethewordscameinaburstofdesperation。
　　Yes，sir。Iunderstand，sir。Itwasonlythathesaid——hesaidashowyoungfolksdidn’t_need_
　　anyoneelsearound。Sohewasgoin’。’
　　Didn’t_need_anyoneelse!’exclaimedBertram，plainlynotcomprehending。
　　Yes，sir。Youtwobein’marriedso，now。’
　　Pete’seyeswerestillaverted。
　　Billygavealowcry。
　　Youmean——because_I_came？’shedemanded。
　　Why，yes，Miss——no——thatis——’PetestoppedwithanappealingglanceatBertram。
　　Thenitwas——it_was_——onaccountof_me_，’
　　chokedBilly。
　　PetelookedstillmoredistressedNo，no!’hefaltered。Itwasonlythathethoughtyouwouldn’twanthimherenow。’
　　Wanthimhere!’ejaculatedBertram。
　　Wanthimhere!’echoedBilly，withasob。
　　Pete，whereishe？’Assheaskedthequestionshedroppedthemirrorknobsintoheropenbag，andreachedforhercoatandgloves——shehadnotremovedherhat。
　　Petegavetheaddress。
　　It’sjustdownthestreetabitandupthehill，’headdedexcitedly，diviningherpurpose。
　　It’sasortofaboarding-house，Ireckon。’
　　A_boarding-house_——forUncleWilliam!’
　　scornedBilly，hereyesablaze。Come，Bertram，we’llseeaboutthat。’
　　Bertramreachedoutadetaininghand。
　　But，dearest，you’resotired，’hedemurred。
　　Hadn’twebetterwaittillafterdinner，ortillto-morrow？’
　　Afterdinner!To-morrow!’Billy’seyesblazedanew。Why，BertramHenshaw，doyouthinkI’dleavethatdearmanevenoneminutelonger，ifIcouldhelpit，withanotioninhisblessedoldheadthatwedidn’t_want_him？’
　　Butyousaidalittlewhileagoyouhadaheadache，dear，’stillobjectedBertram。Ifyou’djusteatyourdinner!’
　　Dinner!’chokedBilly。IwonderifyouthinkIcouldeatanydinnerwithUncleWilliamturnedoutofhishome!I’mgoingtofindUncleWilliam。’Andshestumbledblindlytowardthedoor。
　　Bertramreachedforhishat。HethrewadespairingglanceintoPete’seyes。
　　We’llbeback——whenwecan，’hesaid，withafrown。
　　Yes，sir，’answeredPete，respectfully。Then，asifimpelledbysomehiddenforce，hetouchedhismaster’sarm。Itwasthatwayshelooked，sir，whenshecameto_you_——thatnightlastJuly——withhereyesallshining，’hewhispered。
　　AtendersmilecurvedBertram’slips。Thefrownvanishedfromhisface。
　　Blessyou，Pete——andblessher，too!’hewhisperedback。Thenextmomenthehadhurriedafterhiswife。
　　ThehousethatborethenumberPetehadgivenprovedtohaveapretentiousdoorway，andalandladywho，inresponsetothesummonsoftheneatmaid，appearedwithamostimpressiverustleofblacksilkandjetbugles。
　　No，Mr。WilliamHenshawwasnotinhisrooms。Infact，hewasveryseldomthere。Hisbusiness，shebelieved，calledhimtoStateStreetthroughtheday。Outsideofthat，shehadbeentold，hespentmuchtimesittingonabenchintheCommon。Doubtless，iftheycaredtosearch，theycouldfindhimtherenow。
　　AbenchintheCommon，indeed!’stormedBilly，assheandBertramhurrieddownthewidestonesteps。UncleWilliam——onabench!’
　　Butsurelynow，dear，’venturedherhusband，you’llcomehomeandgetyourdinner!’
　　Billyturnedindignantly。