miss billie married-第36节

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roots；　or　branches？were　called　Eldad　and

Bildad。　　Now　I　thought　those　names　were　good

enough　to　pass　along；　but；　as　I　said　before；　Cyril

wasn't　interested。''



‘‘I　should　say　not；''　laughed　Billy。　　‘‘But；

honestly；　Hugh；　it's　really　serious。　　Marie　wants

them　named　_something_；　but　she　doesn't　say　much

to　Cyril。　　Marie　wouldn't　really　breathe；　you

know；　if　she　thought　Cyril　disapproved　of　breathing。　

And　in　this　case　Cyril　does　not　hesitate　to

declare　that　the　boys　shall　name　themselves。''



‘‘What　a　situation！''　laughed　Calderwell。



‘‘Isn't　it？　　But；　do　you　know；　I　can

sympathize　with　it；　in　a　way；　for　I've　always　mourned

so　over　_my_　name。　　‘Billy'　was　always　such　a

trial　to　me！　　Poor　Uncle　William　wasn't　the　only

one　that　prepared　guns　and　fishing　rods　to　entertain

the　expected　boy。　　I　don't　know；　though；

I'm　afraid　if　I'd　been　allowed　to　select　my　name

I　should　have　been　a　‘Helen　Clarabella'　all　my

days；　for　that　was　the　name　I　gave　all　my　dolls；

with　‘first；'　‘second；'　‘third；'　and　so　on；　added

to　them　for　distinction。　　Evidently　I　thought　that

‘Helen　Clarabella'　was　the　most　feminine

appellation　possible；　and　the　most　foreign　to　the

despised　‘Billy。'　　So　you　see　I　can　sympathize

with　Cyril　to　a　certain　extent。''



‘‘But　they　must　call　the　little　chaps　_something_；

now；''　argued　Hugh。



Billy　gave　a　sudden　merry　laugh。



‘‘They　do；''　she　gurgled；　‘‘and　that's　the　funniest

part　of　it。　　Oh；　Cyril　doesn't。　　He　always　calls

them　impersonally　‘they'　or　‘it。'　　He　doesn't

see　much　of　them　anyway；　now；　I　understand。　

Marie　was　horrified　when　she　realized　how　the

nurses　had　been　using　his　den　as　a　nursery　annex

and　she　changed　all　that　instanter；　when　she　took

charge　of　things　again。　　The　twins　stay　in　the

nursery　now；　I'm　told。　　But　about　the　names

the　nurses；　it　seems；　have　got　into　the　way　of

calling　them　‘Dot'　and　‘Dimple。'　　One　has　a

dimple　in　his　cheek；　and　the　other　is　a　little　smaller

of　the　two。　　Marie　is　no　end　distressed；　particularly

as　she　finds　that　she　herself　calls　them　that；

and　she　says　the　idea　of　boys　being　‘Dot'　and

‘Dimple'！''



‘‘I　should　say　so；''　laughed　Calderwell。　　‘‘Not

I　regard　that　as　worse　than　my　‘Eldad'　and

‘Bildad。'　''



‘‘I　know　it；　and　Alice　says　　By　the　way；

you　haven't　mentioned　Alice；　but　I　suppose　you

see　her　occasionally。''



Billy　paused　in　evident　expectation　of　a　reply。　

Billy　was；　in　fact；　quite　pluming　herself　on　the

adroit　casualness　with　which　she　had　introduced

the　subject　nearest　her　heart。



Calderwell　raised　his　eyebrows。



‘‘Oh；　yes；　I　see　her。''



‘‘But　you　hadn't　mentioned　her。''



There　was　the　briefest　of　pauses；　then　with　a

half…quizzical　dejection；　there　came　the　remark：



‘‘You　seem　to　forget。　　I　told　you　that　I　stayed

here　this　summer　for　reasons　too　numerous；　and

one　too　heart…breaking；　to　mention。　　She　was

the　_one_。''



‘‘You　mean''



‘‘Yes。　　The　usual　thing。　　She　turned　me　down。　

Oh；　I　haven't　asked　her　yet　as　many　times　as　I

did　you；　but''



‘‘_Hugh！_''



Hugh　tossed　her　a　grim　smile　and　went　on

imperturbably。



‘‘I'm　older　now；　of　course；　and　know　more；

perhaps。　　Besides；　the　finality　of　her　remarks　was

not　to　be　mistaken。''



Billy；　in　spite　of　her　sympathy　for　Calderwell；

was　conscious　of　a　throb　of　relief　that　at　least　one

stumbling…block　was　removed　from　Arkwright's

possible　pathway　to　Alice's　heart。



‘‘Did　she　give　any　special　reason？''　hazarded

Billy；　a　shade　too　anxiously。



‘‘Oh；　yes。　　She　said　she　wasn't　going　to　marry

anybodyonly　her　music。''



‘‘Nonsense！''　ejaculated　Billy；　falling　back　in

her　chair　a　little。



‘‘Yes；　I　said　that；　too；''　gloomed　the　man；

‘‘but　it　didn't　do　any　good。　　You　see；　I　had

known　another　girl　who'd　said　the　same　thing

once。''　　（He　did　not　look　up；　but　a　vivid　red

flamed　suddenly　into　Billy's　cheeks。）　　‘‘And　she

when　the　right　one　cameforgot　all　about

the　music；　and　married　the　man。　　So　I　naturally

suspected　that　Alice　would　do　the　same　thing。　

In　fact；　I　said　so　to　her。　　I　was　bold　enough　to

even　call　the　man　by　nameI　hadn't　been

jealous　of　Arkwright　for　nothing；　you　seebut

she　denied　it；　and　flew　into　such　an　indignant

allegation　that　there　wasn't　a　word　of　truth　in　it；

that　I　had　to　sue　for　pardon　before　I　got

anything　like　peace。''



‘‘Oh…h！''　said　Billy；　in　a　disappointed　voice；

falling　quite　back　in　her　chair　this　time。



‘‘And　so　that's　why　I'm　wanting　especially

just　now　to　see　the　wheels　go　'round；''　smiled

Calderwell；　a　little　wistfully。　　‘‘Oh；　I　shall　get

over　it；　I　suppose。　　It　isn't　the　first　time；　I'll

ownbut　some　day　I　take　it　there　will　be　a　last

time。　　Enough　of　this；　however！　　You　haven't

told　me　a　thing　about　yourself。　　How　about　it？　

When　I　come　back；　are　you　going　to　give　me　a

dinner　cooked　by　your　own　fair　hands？　　Going

to　still　play　Bridget？''



Billy　laughed　and　shook　her　head。



‘‘No；　far　from　it。　　Eliza　has　come　back；　and

her　cousin　from　Vermont　is　coming　as　second　girl

to　help　her。　　But　I　_could_　cook　a　dinner　for　you　if

I　had　to　now；　sir；　and　it　wouldn't　be　potato…mush

and　cold　lamb；''　she　bragged　shamelessly；　as　there

sounded　Bertram's　peculiar　ring；　and　the　click　of

his　key　in　the　lock。





It　was　the　next　afternoon　that　Billy　called　on

Marie。　　From　Marie's；　Billy　went　to　the　Annex；

which　was　very　near　Cyril's　new　house；　and　there；

in　Aunt　Hannah's　room；　she　had　what　she　told

Bertram　afterwards　was　a　perfectly　lovely　visit。



Aunt　Hannah；　too；　enjoyed　the　visit　very　much；

though　yet　there　was　one　thing　that　disturbed

herthe　vaguely　troubled　look　in　Billy's　eyes；

which　to…day　was　more　apparent　than　ever。　　Not

until　just　before　Billy　went　home　did　something

occur　to　give　Aunt　Hannah　a　possible　clue　as　to

what　was　the　meaning　of　it。　　That　something

was　a　question　from　Billy。



‘‘Aunt　Hannah；　why　don't　I　feel　like　Marie

did？　why　don't　I　feel　like　everybody　does　in

books　and　stories？　　Marie　went　around　with　such

a　detached；　heavenly；　absorbed　look　in　her　eyes；

before　the　twins　came　to　her　home。　　But　I　don't。　

I　don't　find　anything　like　that　in　my　face；　when　I

look　in　the　glass。　　And　I　don't　feel　detached　and

absorbed　and　heavenly。　　I'm　happy；　of　course；

but　I　can't　help　thinking　of　the　dear；　dear　times

Bertram　and　I　have　together；　just　we　two；　and　I

can't　seem　to　imagine　it　at　all　with　a　third　person

around。''



‘‘Billy！　　_Third　person_；　indeed！''



‘‘There！　　I　knew　'twould　shock　you；''　mourned

Billy。　　It　shocks　me。　　I　_want_　to　feel　detached

and　heavenly　and　absorbed。''



‘‘But　Billy；　dear；　think　of　itcalling　your

own　baby　a　third　person！''



Billy　sighed　despairingly。



‘‘Yes；　I　know。　　And　I　suppose　I　might　as　well

own　up　to　the　rest　of　it　too。　　II'm　actually　afraid

of　babies；　Aunt　Hannah！　　Well；　I　am；''　she

reiterated；　in　answer　to　Aunt　Hannah's　gasp　of

disapproval。　　‘‘I'm　not　used　to　them　at　all。　　I　never

had　any　little　brothers　and　sisters；　and　I　don't

know　how　to　treat　babies。　　II'm　always　afraid

they'll　break；　or　something。　　I'm　just　as　afraid

of　the　twins　as　I　can　be。　　How　Marie　can　handle

them；　and　toss　them　about　as　she　does；　I　don't

see。''



‘‘Toss　them　about；　indeed！''



‘‘Well；　it　looks　that　way　to　me；''　sighed　Billy。　

‘‘Anyhow；　I　know　I　can　never　get　to　handle　them

like　thatand　that's　no　way　to　feel！　　And　I'm

ashamed　of　myself　because　I　_can't_　be　detached

and　heavenly　and　absorbed；''　she　added；　rising

to　go。　　‘‘Everybody　always　is；　it　seems；　but　just

me。''



‘‘Fiddlededee；　my　dear！''　scoffed　Aunt　Hannah；

patting　Billy's　downcast　face。　　‘‘Wait　till　a

year　from　now；　and　we'll　see　about　that　third…

person　bugaboo　you're　worrying　about。　　_I'm_

not　worrying　now；　so　you'd　better　not！''







CHAPTER　XXII



A　DOT　AND　A　DIMPLE





On　the　day　Cyril　Henshaw's　twins　were　six

months　old；　a　momentous　occurrence　marked　the

date　with　a　flaming　red　letter　of　remembrance；

and　it　all　began　with　a　baby's　smile。



Cyril；　in　quest　of　his　wife　at　about　ten　o'clock

that　morning；　and　not　finding　her；　pursued　his

search　even　to　the　nurserya　room　he　very

seldom　entered。　　Cyril　did　not　like　to　go　into　the

nursery。　　He　felt　ill　at　ease；　and　as　if　he　were

away　from　homeand　Cyril　was　known　to　abhor

being　away　from　home　since　he　was　married。　

Now　that　Marie　had　taken　over　the　reins　of

government　again；　he　had　been　obliged　to　see　very

little　of　those　strange　women　and　babies。　　Not

but　that　he　liked　the　babies；　of　course。　　They　were

his　sons；　and　he　was　proud　of　them。　　They　should

have　every　advantage　that　college；　special　training；

and　travel　could　give　them。　　He　quite

anticipated　what　they　would　be　to　himwhen

they　really　knew　anything。　　But；　of　course；　_now_；

when　they　could　do　nothing　but　cry　and　wave

their　absurd　little　fists；　and　wobble　their　heads