miss billie married-第10节

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he　had　left　her　presence　in　white…faced；　stony…

eyed　misery　after　declaring　his　love　for　her；　and

learning　of　her　engagement　to　Bertram。　　Since

then；　she　knew；　he　had　been　much　with　his　old

friend；　Alice　Greggory。　　She　did　not　believe；

should　she　see　him　now；　that　he　would　be　either

white…faced；　or　stony…eyed。　　His　heart；　she　was

sure；　had　gone　where　it　ought　to　have　gone　in　the

first　placeto　Alice。　　Such　being；　in　her　opinion；

the　case；　she　longed　to　get　the　embarrassment

of　a　first　meeting　between　themselves　over

with；　for；　after　that；　she　was　sure；　their　old

friendship　could　be　renewed；　and　she　would　be　in　a

position　to　further　this　pretty　love　affair　between

him　and　Alice。　　Very　decidedly；　therefore；　Billy

wished　to　meet　Arkwright。　　Very　pleased；　consequently；

was　she　when；　one　day；　coming　into　the

living…room　at　the　Annex；　she　found　the　man

sitting　by　the　fire。



Arkwright　was　on　his　feet　at　once。



‘‘MissMrs。　HHenshaw；''　he　stammered



‘‘Oh；　Mr。　Arkwright；''　she　cried；　with　just　a

shade　of　nervousness　in　her　voice　as　she　advanced；

her　hand　outstretched。　　‘‘I'm　glad　to　see　you。''



‘‘Thank　you。　　I　wanted　to　see　Miss　Greggory；''

he　murmured。　　Then；　as　the　unconscious　rudeness

of　his　reply　dawned　on　him；　he　made　matters

infinitely　worse　by　an　attempted　apology。　　‘‘That

is；　I　meanI　didn't　mean''　he　began　to

stammer　miserably。



Some　girls　might　have　tossed　the　floundering

man　a　straw　in　the　shape　of　a　light　laugh　intended

to　turn　aside　all　embarrassmentbut　not　Billy。　

Billy　held　out　a　frankly　helping　hand　that　was

meant　to　set　the　man　squarely　on　his　feet　at　her

side。



‘‘Mr。　Arkwright；　don't；　please；''　she　begged

earnestly。　　‘‘You　and　I　don't　need　to　beat　about

the　bush。　　I　_am_　glad　to　see　you；　and　I　hope　you're

glad　to　see　me。　　We're　going　to　be　the　best　of

friends　from　now　on；　I'm　sure；　and　some　day；

soon；　you're　going　to　bring　Alice　to　see　me；　and

we'll　have　some　music。　　I　left　her　up…stairs。　　She'll

be　down　at　once；　I　dare　sayI　met　Rosa　going

up　with　your　card。　　Good…by；''　she　finished　with

a　bright　smile；　as　she　turned　and　walked　rapidly

from　the　room。



Outside；　on　the　steps；　Billy　drew　a　long

breath。



‘‘There；''　she　whispered；　‘‘that's　overand

well　over！''　　The　next　minute　she　frowned　vexedly。　

She　had　missed　her　glove。　　‘‘Never　mind！

I　sha'n't　go　back　in　there　for　it　now；　anyway；''

she　decided。



In　the　living…room；　five　minutes　later；　Alice

Greggory　found　only　a　hastily　scrawled　note

waiting　for　her。





‘‘If　you'll　forgive　the　unforgivable；''　she　read

‘‘you'll　forgive　me　for　not　being　here　when　you

come　down。　　‘Circumstances　over　which　I　have

no　control　have　called　me　away。'　　May　we　let

it　go　at　that？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　M。　J。　ARKWRIGHT。





As　Alice　Greggory's　amazed；　questioning　eyes

left　the　note　they　fell　upon　the　long　white　glove

on　the　floor　by　the　door。　　Half　mechanically　she

crossed　the　room　and　picked　it　up；　but　almost　at

once　she　dropped　it　with　a　low　cry。



‘‘Billy！　　HesawBilly！''　　Then　a　flood

of　understanding　dyed　her　face　scarlet　as　she

turned　and　fled　to　the　blessedly　unseeing　walls

of　her　own　room。



Not　ten　minutes　later　Rosa　tapped　at　her　door

with　a　note。



‘‘It's　from　Mr。　Arkwright；　Miss。　　He's　downstairs。''　

Rosa's　eyes　were　puzzled；　and　a　bit

startled。



‘‘Mr。　Arkwright！''



‘‘Yes；　Miss。　　He's　come　again。　　That　is；　I

didn't　know　he'd　wentbut　he　must　have；　for

he's　come　again　now。　　He　wrote　something　in　a

little　book；　then　he　tore　it　out　and　gave　it　to　me。　

He　said　he'd　wait；　please；　for　an　answer。''



‘‘Oh；　very　well；　Rosa。''



Miss　Greggory　took　the　note　and　spoke　with

an　elaborate　air　of　indifference　that　was　meant　to

express　a　calm　ignoring　of　the　puzzled　questioning

in　the　other's　eyes。　　The　next　moment　she　read

this　in　Arkwright's　peculiar　scrawl：





‘‘If　you've　already　forgiven　the　unforgivable；

you'll　do　it　again；　I　know；　and　come　down…stairs。　

Won't　you；　please？　　I　want　to　see　you。''





Miss　Greggory　lifted　her　head　with　a　jerk。　

Her　face　was　a　painful　red。



‘‘Tell　Mr。　Arkwright　I　can't　possibly''　　She

came　to　an　abrupt　pause。　　Her　eyes　had　encountered

Rosa's；　and　in　Rosa's　eyes　the　puzzled　questioning

was　plainly　fast　becoming　a　shrewd　suspicion。



There　was　the　briefest　of　hesitations；　then；

lightly；　Miss　Greggory　tossed　the　note　aside。



‘‘Tell　Mr。　Arkwright　I'll　be　down　at　once；

please；''　she　directed　carelessly；　as　she　turned

back　into　the　room。



But　she　was　not　down　at　once。　　She　was　not

down　until　she　had　taken　time　to　bathe　her　red

eyes；　powder　her　telltale　nose；　smoothe　her　ruffled

hair；　and　whip　herself　into　the　calm；　steady…eyed；

self…controlled　young　woman　that　Arkwright

finally　rose　to　meet　when　she　came　into　the　room。



‘‘I　thought　it　was　only　women　who　were　privileged

to　change　their　mind；''　she　began　brightly；

but　Arkwright　ignored　her　attempt　to　conventionalize

the　situation。



‘‘Thank　you　for　coming　down；''　he　said；　with

a　weariness　that　instantly　drove　the　forced　smile

from　the　girl's　lips。　　‘‘II　wanted　toto　talk

to　you。''



‘‘Yes？''　　She　seated　herself　and　motioned　him

to　a　chair　near　her。　　He　took　the　seat；　and　then

fell　silent；　his　eyes　out　the　window。



‘‘I　thought　you　said　youyou　wanted　to

talk；　she　reminded　him　nervously；　after　a

minute。



‘‘I　did。''　　He　turned　with　disconcerting　abruptness。　

‘‘Alice；　I'm　going　to　tell　you　a　story。''



I　shall　be　glad　to　listen。　　People　always　like

stories；　don't　they？''



‘‘Do　they？''　　The　somber　pain　in　Arkwright's

eyes　deepened。　　Alice　Greggory　did　not　know　it；

but　he　was　thinking　of　another　story　he　had　once

told　in　that　same　room。　　Billy　was　his　listener

then；　while　now　　A　little　precipitately　he　began

to　speak。



‘‘When　I　was　a　very　small　boy　I　went　to　visit

my　uncle；　who；　in　his　young　days；　had　been　quite

a　hunter。　　Before　the　fireplace　in　his　library　was

a　huge　tiger　skin　with　a　particularly　lifelike　head。　

The　first　time　I　saw　it　I　screamed；　and　ran　and

hid。　　I　refused　then　even　to　go　into　the　room

again。　　My　cousins　urged；　scolded；　pleaded；　and

laughed　at　me　by　turns；　but　I　was　obdurate。　　I

would　not　go　where　I　could　see　the　fearsome　thing

again；　even　though　it　was；　as　they　said；　‘nothing

but　a　dead　old　rug！'



‘‘Finally；　one　day；　my　uncle　took　a　hand　in　the

matter。　　By　sheer　will…power　he　forced　me　to　go

with　him　straight　up　to　the　dreaded　creature；　and

stand　by　its　side。　　He　laid　one　of　my　shrinking

hands　on　the　beast's　smooth　head；　and　thrust

the　other　one　quite　into　the　open　red　mouth　with

its　gleaming　teeth。



‘‘　‘You　see；'　he　said；　‘there's　absolutely　nothing

to　fear。　　He　can't　possibly　hurt　you。　　Just　as

if　you　weren't　bigger　and　finer　and　stronger　in

every　way　than　that　dead　thing　on　the　floor！'



‘‘Then；　when　he　had　got　me　to　the　point　where

of　my　own　free　will　I　would　walk　up　and　touch

the　thing；　he　drew　a　lesson　for　me。



‘‘　‘Now　remember；'　he　charged　me。　　‘Never

run　and　hide　again。　　Only　cowards　do　that。　

Walk　straight　up　and　face　the　thing。　　Ten　to　one

you'll　find　it's　nothing　but　a　dead　skin　masquerading

as　the　real　thing。　　Even　if　it　isn't　if　it's

aliveface　it。　　Find　a　weapon　and　fight　it。　

Know　that　you　are　going　to　conquer　it　and

you'll　conquer。　　Never　run。　　Be　a　man。　　Men

don't　run；　my　boy！'　''



Arkwright　paused；　and　drew　a　long　breath。　　He

did　not　look　at　the　girl　in　the　opposite　chair。　　If

he　had　looked　he　would　have　seen　a　face　transfigured。



‘‘Well；''　he　resumed；　‘‘I　never　forgot　that　tiger

skin；　nor　what　it　stood　for；　after　that　day　when

Uncle　Ben　thrust　my　hand　into　its　hideous；　but

harmless；　red　mouth。　　Even　as　a　kid　I　began；

then；　to　trynot　to　run。　　I've　tried　ever　since

But　to…dayI　did　run。''



Arkwright's　voice　had　been　getting　lower　and

lower。　　The　last　three　words　would　have　been

almost　inaudible　to　ears　less　sensitively　alert　than

were　Alice　Greggory's。　　For　a　moment　after　the

words　were　uttered；　only　the　clock's　ticking　broke

the　silence；　then；　with　an　obvious　effort；　the　man

roused　himself；　as　if　breaking　away　from　some

benumbing　force　that　held　him。



‘‘Alice；　I　don't　need　to　tell　you；　after　what　I

said　the　other　night；　that　I　loved　Billy　Neilson。　

That　was　bad　enough；　for　I　found　she　was　pledged

to　another　man。　　But　to…day　I　discovered　something

worse：　　I　discovered　that　I　loved　Billy　_Henshaw_

another　man's　wife。　　AndI　ran。　　But

I've　come　back。　　I'm　going　to　face　the　thing。　　Oh；

I'm　not　deceiving　myself！　　This　love　of　mine　is

no　dead　tiger　skin。　　It's　a　beast；　alive　and　alert

God　pity　me！to　destroy　my　very　soul。　　But

I'm　going　to　fight　it；　andI　want　you　to　help

me。''



The　girl　gave　a　half…smothered　cry。　　The　man

turned；　but　he　could　not　see　her　face　distinctly。　

Twilight　had　come；　and　the　room　was　full　of

sha