miss billie married-第46节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





‘‘Yes；　well；　I'm　speaking　of　my　brother；　too；

whom　I　know　very　well；''　shrugged　Kate。　　‘‘All

is；　you　may　remember　sometime　that　I　warned

youthat's　all。　　This　trusting　business　is　all

very　pretty；　but　I　think　'twould　be　a　lot　prettier；

and　a　vast　deal　more　sensible；　if　you'd　give　him

a　little　attention　as　well　as　trust；　and　see　if　you

can't　keep　him　at　home　a　bit　more。　　At　least

you'll　know　whom　he's　with；　then。　　Cyril　says

he　saw　him　last　week　with　Bob　Seaver。''



‘‘WithBobSeaver？''　faltered　Billy；

changing　color。



‘‘Yes。　　I　see　you　remember　him；''　smiled

Kate；　not　quite　agreeably。　　‘‘Perhaps　now

you'll　take　some　stock　in　what　I've　said；　and

remember　it。''



‘‘I'll　remember　it；　certainly；''　returned　Billy；

a　little　proudly。　　‘‘You've　said　a　good　many

things　to　me；　in　the　past；　Mrs。　Hartwell；　and

I've　remembered　them　allevery　one。''



It　was　Kate's　turn　to　flush；　and　she　did　it。



‘‘Yes；　I　know。　　And　I　presume　very　likely

sometimes　there　_hasn't_　been　much　foundation

for　what　I've　said。　　I　think　this　time；　however；

you'll　find　there　is；''　she　finished；　with　an　air　of

hurt　dignity。



Billy　made　no　reply；　perhaps　because　Delia；

at　that　moment；　brought　in　the　baby。



Mrs。　Hartwell　and　little　Kate　left　the　Strata

the　next　morning。　　Until　then　Billy　contrived

to　keep；　before　them；　a　countenance　serene；　and

a　manner　free　from　unrest。　　Even　when；　after

dinner　that　evening；　Bertram　put　on　his　hat　and

coat　and　went　out；　Billy　refused　to　meet　her　sister…

in…law's　meaning　gaze。　　But　in　the　morning；

after　they　had　left　the　house；　Billy　did　not

attempt　to　deceive　herself。　　Determinedly；　then；

she　set　herself　to　going　over　in　her　mind　the　past

months　since　the　baby　came；　and　she　was　appalled

at　what　she　found。　　Ever　in　her　ears；　too；

was　that　feared　name；　‘‘Bob　Seaver''；　and　ever

before　her　eyes　was　that　night　years　ago　when；

as　an　eighteen…year…old　girl；　she　had　followed

Bertram　and　Bob　Seaver　into　a　glittering　caf

and　demand　that　Seaver　let　her　husband　come

home！　　But　she　could　keep　him　at　home；　perhaps。　

（Billy　quite　brightened　at　this　thought。）　　Kate

had　said　that　she　was　so　absorbed　in　Baby　that

her　husband　received　no　attention　at　all。　　Billy

did　not　believe　this　was　true；　but　if　it　were　true；

she　could　at　least　rectify　that　mistake。　　If　it　were

attention　that　he　wantedhe　should　want　no

more。　　Poor　Bertram！　　No　wonder　that　he　had

sought　distraction　outside！　　When　one　had　a

horrid　broken　arm　that　would　not　let　one　do　anything；

what　else　could　one　do？



Just　here　Billy　suddenly　remembered　the　book；

‘‘A　Talk　to　Young　Wives。''　　If　she　recollected

rightly；　there　was　a　chapter　that　covered　the　very

claim　Kate　had　been　making。　　Billy　had　not

thought　of　the　book　for　months；　but　she　went

at　once　to　get　it　now。　　There　might　be；　after　all；

something　in　it　that　would　help　her。



‘‘The　Coming　of　the　First　Baby。''　　Billy

found　the　chapter　without　difficulty　and　settled

herself　to　read；　her　countenance　alight　with

interest。　　In　a　surprisingly　short　time；　however；

a　new　expression　came　to　her　face；　and　at　last　a

little　gasp　of　dismay　fell　from　her　lips。　　She　looked

up　then；　with　a　startled　gaze。



_Had_　her　walls　possessed　eyes　and　ears　all

these　past　months；　only　to　give　instructions　to

an　unseen　hand　that　it　might　write　what　the

eyes　and　ears　had　learned？　　For　it　was　such

sentences　as　these　that　the　conscience…smitten

Billy　read：



‘‘Maternity　is　apt　to　work　a　miracle　in　a　woman's

life；　but　sometimes　it　spells　disaster　so　far

as　domestic　bliss　is　concerned。　　The　young　mother；

wrapped　up　in　the　delights　and　duties　of　motherhood；

utterly　forgets　that　she　has　a　husband。　

She　lives　and　moves　and　has　her　being　in　the

nursery。　　She　thinks　baby；　talks　baby；　knows

only　baby。　　She　refuses　to　dress　up；　because　it

is　easier　to　take　care　of　baby　in　a　frowzy　wrapper。　

She　will　not　go　out　with　her　husband　for　fear

something　might　happen　to　the　baby。　　She　gives

up　her　music　because　baby　won't　let　her　practice。　

In　vain　her　husband　tries　to　interest　her

in　his　own　affairs。　　She　has　neither　eyes　nor　ears

for　him；　only　for　baby。



‘‘Now　no　man　enjoys　having　his　nose　put　out

of　joint；　even　by　his　own　child。　　He　loves　his

child　devotedly；　and　is　proud　of　him；　of　course；

but　that　does　not　keep　him　from　wanting　the　society

of　his　wife　occasionally；　nor　from　longing

for　her　old…time　love　and　sympathetic　interest。　

It　is　an　admirable　thing；　certainly；　for　a　woman

to　be　a　devoted　mother；　but　maternal　affection

can　be　carried　too　far。　　Husbands　have　some

rights　as　well　as　offspring；　and　the　wife　who

neglects　her　husband　for　her　babies　does　so　at　her

peril。　　Home；　with　the　wife　eternally　in　the

nursery；　is　apt　to　be　a　dull　and　lonely　thing　to　the

average　husband；　so　he　starts　out　to　find　amusement

for　himselfand　he　finds　it。　　Then　is　the

time　when　the　new　little　life　that　is　so　precious；

and　that　should　have　bound　the　two　more　closely

together；　becomes　the　wedge　that　drives　them

apart。''



Billy　did　not　read　any　more。　　With　a　little

sobbing　cry　she　flung　the　book　back　into　her

desk；　and　began　to　pull　off　her　wrapper。　　Her

fingers　shook。　　Already　she　saw　herself　a　Monster；

a　Wicked　Destroyer　of　Domestic　Bliss　with

her　thoughtless　absorption　in　Baby；　until　he　had

become　that　Awful　Thinga　_Wedge_。　　And　Bertram

poor　Bertram；　with　his　broken　arm！　　She

had　not　played　to　him；　nor　sung　to　him；　nor　gone

out　with　him。　　And　when　had　they　had　one　of

their　good　long　talks　about　Bertram's　work　and

plans？



But　it　should　all　be　changed　now。　　She　would

play；　and　sing；　and　go　out　with　him。　　She　would

dress　up；　too。　　He　should　see　no　more　wrappers。　

She　would　ask　about　his　work；　and　seem

interested。　　She　_was_　interested。　　She　remembered

now；　that　just　before　he　was　hurt；　he　had　told

her　of　a　new　portrait；　and　of　a　new　‘‘Face　of　a

Girl''　that　he　had　planned　to　do。　　Lately　he　had

said　nothing　about　these。　　He　had　seemed

discouragedand　no　wonder；　with　his　broken　arm！　

But　she　would　change　all　that。　　He　should　see！　

And　forthwith　Billy　hurried　to　her　closet　to　pick

out　her　prettiest　house　frock。



Long　before　dinner　Billy　was　ready；　waiting　in

the　drawing…room。　　She　had　on　a　pretty　little　blue

silk　gown　that　she　knew　Bertram　liked；　and　she

watched　very　anxiously　for　Bertram　to　come　up　the

steps。　　She　remembered　now；　with　a　pang；　that　he

had　long　since　given　up　his　peculiar　ring；　but　she

meant　to　meet　him　at　the　door　just　the　same。



Bertram；　however；　did　not　come。　　At　a　quarter

before　six　he　telephoned　that　he　had　met　some

friends；　and　would　dine　at　the　club。



‘‘My；　my；　how　pretty　we　are！''　exclaimed

Uncle　William；　when　they　went　down　to　dinner

together。　　‘‘New　frock？''



‘‘Why；　no；　Uncle　William；''　laughed　Billy；　a

little　tremulously。　　‘‘You've　seen　it　dozens　of

times！''



‘‘Have　I？''　murmured　the　man。　　‘‘I　don't

seem　to　remember　it。　　Too　bad　Bertram　isn't

here　to　see　you。　　Somehow；　you　look　unusually

pretty　to…night。''



And　Billy's　heart　ached　anew。



Billy　spent　the　evening　practicingsoftly；

to　be　sure；　so　as　not　to　wake　Babybut　_practicing_。



As　the　days　passed　Billy　discovered　that　it

was　much　easier　to　say　she　would　‘‘change

things''　than　it　was　really　to　change　them。　　She

changed　herself；　it　is　trueher　clothes；　her

habits；　her　words；　and　her　thoughts；　but　it　was

more　difficult　to　change　Bertram。　　In　the　first

place；　he　was　there　so　little。　　She　was　dismayed

when　she　saw　how　very　little；　indeed；　he　was　at

homeand　she　did　not　like　to　ask　him　outright

to　stay。　　That　was　not　in　accordance　with　her

plans。　　Besides；　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''

said　that　indirect　influence　was　much　to　be

preferred；　always；　to　direct　persuasionwhich

last；　indeed；　usually　failed　to　produce　results。



So　Billy　‘‘dressed　up；''　and　practiced；　and

talked　（of　anything　but　the　baby）；　and　even

hinted　shamelessly　once　or　twice　that　she　would

like　to　go　to　the　theater；　but　all　to　little　avail。　

True；　Bertram　brightened　up；　for　a　minute；　when

he　came　home　and　found　her　in　a　new　or　a　favorite

dress；　and　he　told　her　how　pretty