Bertramwasnotquitehimselfthatnight。Billyadmittedthem。Shehadplainlybeenwatchingandwaiting。Arkwrightneverforgotthelookonherfaceashereyesmethis。Therewasacuriousmixtureofterror，hurtpride，relief，andshame，overtoppedbyafierceloyaltywhichalmostseemedtosayaloudthewords：Don’tyoudaretoblamehim!’
　　Arkwright’sheartachedwithsympathyandadmirationattheproudlycourageouswayinwhichBillycarriedoffthenextfewpainfulminutes。Evenwhenhebadehergoodnightalittlelater，onlyhereyessaidthankyou。’Herlipsweredumb。
　　ArkwrightoftenwenthomewithBertramafterthat。Notthatitwasalwaysnecessary——
　　farfromit。Sometime，indeed，elapsedbeforehehadquitethesameexcuseagainforhispresence。
　　ButhehadfoundthatoccasionallyhecouldgetBertramhomeearlierbyadroitsuggestionsofonekindoranother；andmoreandmorefrequentlyhewassucceedingingettinghimhomeforagameofchess。
　　Bertramlikedchess，andwasafineplayer。
　　Sincebreakinghisarmhehadturnedtogameswiththefeverisheagernessofonewholooksforsomethingabsorbingtofillanunrestfulmind。
　　ItwasSeaver’sskillinchessthathadatfirstattractedBertramtothemanlongago；butBertramcouldbeathimeasily——tooeasilyformuchpleasureinitnow。Sotheydidnotplaychessoftenthesedays。Bertramhadfoundthat，inspiteofhisinjury，hecouldstilltakepartinothergames，andsomeofthem，ifnotsointricateaschess，wereatleastmoreapttotakehismindoffhimself，especiallyiftherewereabitofmoneyuptoaddzestandinterest。
　　Asithappened，however，BertramlearnedonedaythatArkwrightcouldplaychess——andplaywell，too，ashediscoveredaftertheirfirstgametogether。ThisfactcontributednotalittletosuchsuccessasArkwrightwashavinginhiseffortstoweanBertramfromhisundesirablecompanions；forBertramsoonfoundoutthatArkwrightwasmorethanamatchforhimself，andtheoccasionalgameshedidsucceedinwinningonlywhettedhisappetiteformore。
　　Manyaneveningnow，therefore，wasspentbythetwomeninBertram’sden，withBillyanxiouslyhoveringnear，hereyeslonginglywatchingeitherherhusband’sabsorbedfaceortheprettylittleredandwhiteivoryfigures，whichseemedtopossesssowonderfulapowertoholdhisattention。Inspiteofherjoyatthechessmen’sefficacyinkeepingBertramathome，however，shewasalmostjealousofthem。
　　Mr。Arkwright，couldn’tyoushow_me_howtoplay，sometime？’shesaidwistfully，oneevening，whenthemomentaryabsenceofBertramhadleftthetwoalonetogether。IusedtowatchBertramandMarieplayyearsago；butIneverknewhowtoplaymyself。NotthatI
　　canseewherethefunisinjustsittingstaringatachessboardforhalfanhouratatime，though!
　　ButBertramlikesit，andsoI——Iwanttolearntostarewithhim。Willyouteachme？’
　　Ishouldbegladto，’smiledArkwright。
　　Thenwillyoucome，maybe，sometimeswhenBertramisatthedoctor’s？HegoeseveryTuesdayandFridayatthreeo’clockfortreatment。
　　I’dratheryoucamethenfortworeasons：
　　first，becauseIdon’twantBertramtoknowI’mlearning，tillIcanplay_some_；and，secondly，because——becauseIdon’twanttotakeyouaway——fromhim。’
　　Thelastwordswerespokenverylow，andwereaccompaniedbyapainfulblush。ItwasthefirsttimeBillyhadeverhintedtoArkwright，inwords，thatsheunderstoodwhathewastryingtodo。
　　I’llcomenextTuesday，’promisedArkwright，withacheerfullyunobservantair。ThenBertramcamein，bringingthebookofChessProblems，forwhichhehadgoneup-stairs。
　　Promptlyatthreeo’clockTuesdayafternoonArkwrightappearedattheStrata，andforthenexthourBillydidherbesttolearnthenamesandthemovesoftheprettylittleivorymen。
　　Butattheendofthehourshewasalmostreadytogiveupindespair。
　　Ifthereweren’tsomanykinds，andiftheydidn’tallinsistondoingsomethingdifferent，itwouldn’tbesobad，’shesighed。Buthowcanyoubeexpectedtorememberwhichgoesdiagonal，andwhichcrisscross，andwhichcan’tgobutonesquare，andwhichcanskip’wayacrosstheboard，’speciallywhenthatlittlepawn-thingcangostraightahead_two_squaressometimes，andthenextminuteonlyoneexceptwhenittakesthings，andthenitgoescrookedonesquare
　　andwhenthattiresomelittlehorsetriestogoallwaysatonce，andcanjump’roundandhurdleover_anybody’s_head，eventheking’s——howcanyouexpectfolkstoremember？But，then，Bertramremembers，’sheadded，resolutely，soI
　　guessIcan。’
　　Wheneverpossible，afterthat，ArkwrightcameonTuesdaysandFridays，and，inspiteofherdoubts，Billydidverysoonbegintoremember。’
　　SpurredbyhergreatdesiretoplaywithBertramandsurprisehim，Billysparednopainstolearnwellherlessons。Evenamongthebaby’sbooksandplaythingsthesedaysmightbefoundaManualofChess，’forBillypursuedherstudyatallhours；andsomenightsevenherdreamswereofruined，castleswherekingsandqueensandbishopsdisportedthemselves，withpawnsforservants，andwhereaweirdknightonhorsebackusedthecastle’shighesttowerforahurdle，landingalwaysahundredyardstoonesideofwherehewouldbeexpectedtocomedown。
　　Itwasnotlong，ofcourse，beforeBillycouldplayagameofchess，afterafashion，butsheknewjustenoughtorealizethatsheactuallyknewnothing；andsheknew，too，thatuntilshecouldplayareallygoodgame，hermoveswouldnotholdBertram’sattentionforoneminute。
　　Notatpresent，therefore，wasshewillingBertramshouldknowwhatshewasattemptingtodo。
　　BillyhadnotyetlearnedwhatthegreatsurgeonhadsaidtoBertram。Sheknewonlythathisarmwasnobetter，andthathenevervoluntarilyspokeofhispainting。Overhernowseemedtobehangingavaguehorror。Somethingwasthematter。Sheknewthat。Butwhatitwasshecouldnotfathom。SherealizedthatArkwrightwastryingtohelp，andhergratitude，thoughsilent，knewnobounds。NoteventoAuntHannahorUncleWilliamcouldshespeakofthisthingthatwastroublingher。Thatthey，too，understood，inameasure，sherealized。Butstillshesaidnoword。Billywaswearingaproudlittleairofaloofnessthesedaysthatwasheart-
　　breakingtothosewhosawitandreaditarightforwhatitwas：loyaltytoBertram，nomatterwhathappened。AndsoBillyporedoverherchessboardfeverishly，tirelessly，havingeverbeforeherlongingeyesthedeartimewhenBertram，acrossthetablefromher，shouldsithappilystaringforhalfanhouratamoveshehadmade。
　　WhateverBilly’schess-playingwastosignify，however，inherownlife，itwasdestinedtoplayapartinthelivesoftwofriendsofhersthatwasmostunexpected。
　　DuringBilly’sveryfirstlesson，asitchanced，AliceGreggorycalledandfoundBillyandArkwrightsoabsorbedintheirgamethattheydidnotatfirsthearElizaspeakhername。
　　ThequickcolorthatflewtoArkwright’sfaceatsightofherselfwasconstruedatoncebyAliceasembarrassmentonhispartatbeingfoundtte--ttewithBertramHenshaw’swife。Andshedidnotlikeit。Shewasnotpleasedthathewasthere。Shewaslesspleasedthatheblushedforbeingthere。
　　ItsohappenedthatAlicefoundhimthereagainseveraltimes。Alicegaveapianolessonattwoo’clockeveryTuesdayandFridayafternoontoalittleBeaconStreetneighborofBilly’s，andshehadfallenintothehabitofsteppingintoseeBillyforafewminutesafterward，whichbroughtherthereatalittlepastthree，justafterthechesslessonwaswellstarted。
　　If，thefirsttimethatAliceGreggoryfoundArkwrightoppositeBillyatthechess-table，shewassurprisedanddispleased，thesecondandthirdtimesshewasmuchmoreso。Whenitfinallycametoheronedaywithsickeningillumination，thatalwaysthette--tteswereduringBertram’shouratthedoctor’s，shewasappalled。
　　Whatcoulditmean？HadArkwrightgivenuphisfight？WasheplayingfalsetohimselfandtoBertrambytryingthus，onthesly，towintheloveofhisfriend’swife？Wasthisman，whomshehadsoadmiredforhisbravestand，andtowhomallunaskedshehadgivenherheart’sbestlovemorethepityofit!——wasthisidolofherstoshowfeetofclay，afterall？Shecouldnotbelieveit。Andyet——
　　Sickatheart，butimbuedwiththedeterminationofarighteouscause，AliceGreggoryresolved，forBilly’ssake，towatchandwait。Ifnecessarysheshouldspeaktosomeone——thoughtowhomshedidnotknow。Billy’shappinessshouldnotbeputinjeopardyifshecouldhelpit。
　　Indeed，no!
　　Astheweekspassed，Alicecametobemoreandmoreuneasy，distressed，andgrieved。OfBillyshecouldbelievenoevil；butofArkwrightshewasbeginningtothinkshecouldbelieveeverythingthatwasdishonorableanddespicable。
　　Andtobelievethatofthemanshestillloved——
　　nowonderthatAlicedidnotlooknoractlikeherselfthesedays。
　　Incensedatherselfbecauseshedidlovehim，angryathimbecauseheseemedtobeprovinghimselfsounworthyofthatlove，andgenuinelyfrightenedatwhatshethoughtwasthefast-
　　approachingwreckofallhappinessforherdearfriend，Billy，Alicedidnotknowwhichwaytoturn。Atthefirstshehadtoldherselfconfidentlythatshewouldspeaktosomebody。’But，astimepassed，shesawtheimpracticabilityofthatidea。Speaktosomebody，indeed!Towhom？
　　When？Where？Whatshouldshesay？Wherewasherrighttosayanything？Shewasnotdealingwithaparcelofnaughtychildrenwhohadpilferedthecakejar!Shewasdealingwithgrownmenandwomen，who，presumedly，knewtheirownaffairs，andwho，certainly，wouldresentanyinterferencefromher。Ontheotherhand，couldshestandcalmlybyandseeBertramlosehiswife，Arkwrighthishonor，Billyherhappiness，andherselfherfaithinhumannature，allbecausetodootherwisewouldbetomeddleinotherpeople’sbusiness？Apparentlyshecould，andshould。Atleastthatseemedtobetherlewhichshewasexpectedtoplay。
　　ItwaswhenAlicehadreachedthisunhappyframeofmindthatArkwrighthimselfunexpectedlyopenedthedoorforher。
　　ThetwowerealonetogetherinBertramHenshaw’sden。ItwasTuesdayafternoon。AlicehadcalledtofindBillyandArkwrightdeepintheirusualgameofchess。ThenamatterofdomesticaffairshadtakenBillyfromtheroom。
　　I’mafraidI’llhavetobegonetenminutes，ormore，’shehadsaid，assherosefromthetablereluctantly。ButyoumightbeshowingAlicethemoves，Mr。Arkwright，’shehadadded，withalaugh，asshedisappeared。
　　ShallIteachyouthemoves？’hehadsmiled，whentheywerealonetogether。
　　Alice’sreplyhadbeensoindignantlyshortandsharpthatArkwright，afteramoment’spause，hadsaid，withawhimsicalsmilethatyetcarriedatouchofsadness：
　　Iamforcedtosurmisefromyouranswerthatyouthinkitis_you_whoshouldbeteaching_me_moves。Atallevents，Iseemtohavebeenmakingsomemoveslatelythathavenotsuitedyou，judgingbyyouractions。HaveIoffendedyouinanyway，Alice？’
　　Thegirlturnedwithaquickliftingofherhead。
　　Aliceknewthatifeversheweretospeak，itmustbenow。Neveragaincouldshehopeforsuchanopportunityasthis。Suddenlythrowingcircumspectcautionquiteaside，shedeterminedthatshewouldspeak。SpringingtoherfeetshecrossedtheroomandseatedherselfinBilly’schairatthechess-table。
　　Me!Offendme!’sheexclaimed，inalowvoice。AsifIweretheoneyouwereoffending!’
　　Why，_Alice!_’murmuredtheman，inobviousstupefaction。
　　Aliceraisedherhand，palmoutward。
　　Nowdon’t，_please_don’tpretendyoudon’tknow，’shebegged，almostpiteously。Pleasedon’taddthattoalltherest。Oh，Iunderstand，ofcourse，it’snoneofmyaffairs，andIwasn’tgoingtospeak，’shechoked；but，to-day，whenyougavemethischance，Ihadto。AtfirstI
　　couldn’tbelieveit，’sheplungedon，plainlyhurryingagainstBilly’sreturn。Afterallyou’dtoldmeofhowyoumeanttofightit——yourtigerskin。AndIthoughtitmerely_happened_
　　thatyouwereherealonewithherthosedaysI
　　came。Then，whenIfoundouttheywere_always_
　　thedaysMr。Henshawwasawayatthedoctor’s，Ihadtobelieve。’
　　Shestoppedforbreath。Arkwright，who，uptothismomenthadshownthathewascompletelymystifiedastowhatshewastalkingabout，suddenlyflushedapainfulred。Hewasobviouslyabouttospeak，butshepreventedhimwithaquickgesture。