miss billy-第20节

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demanded　Bertram；　savagely。

Billy　shook　her　head。　　Her　round　little　chin　looked　suddenly　square
and　determined。

〃You　may　ask；　but　I　shall　not　tell；〃　she　declared　firmly。

If　Bertram　had　known　Billy　just　a　little　better　he　would　have　let
the　matter　drop　there；　but　he　did　not　know　Billy；　so　he　asked：

〃Was　it　anything　I　didor　said？〃

The　girl　did　not　answer。

〃Billy；　was　it？〃　　Bertram's　voice　showed　terror　now。

Billy　laughed　unexpectedly。

〃Do　you　think　I'm　going　to　say　'no'　to　a　series　of　questions；　and
then　give　the　whole　thing　away　by　my　silence　when　you　come　to　the
right　one？〃　she　demanded　merrily。　　〃No；　sir！〃

〃Well；　anyhow；　it　wasn't　I；　then；〃　sighed　the　man　in　relief；　〃for
you　just　observed　that　you　were　not　going　to　say　'no　to　a　series　of
questions'and　that　was　the　first　one。　　So　I've　found　out　that
much；　anyhow；〃　he　concluded　triumphantly。

The　girl　eyed　him　for　a　moment　in　silence；　then　she　shook　her　head。

〃I'm　not　going　to　be　caught　that　way；　either；〃　she　smiled。　　〃You
knowjust　what　you　did　in　the　first　place　about　it：　nothing。〃

The　man　stirred　restlessly　and　pondered。　　After　a　long　pause　he
adopted　new　tactics。　　With　a　searching　study　of　her　face　to　note
the　slightest　change；　he　enumerated：

〃Was　it　Cyril；　then？　　Will？　　Aunt　Hannah？　　Kate？　　It　couldn't　have
been　Pete；　or　Dong　Ling！〃

Billy　still　smiled　inscrutably。　　At　no　name　had　Bertram　detected　so
much　as　the　flicker　of　an　eyelid；　and　with　a　glance　half…admiring；
half…chagrined；　he　fell　back　into　his　chair。

〃I'll　give　it　up。　　You've　won；〃　he　acknowledged。　　〃But；　Billy；〃
his　manner　changed　suddenly〃I　wonder　if　you　know　just　what　a　hole
you　left　in　the　Strata　when　you　went　away。〃

〃But　I　couldn't　havein　the　whole　Strata；〃　objected　Billy。　　〃I
occupied　only　one　stratum；　and　a　stratum　doesn't　go　up　and　down；
you　know；　only　across；　and　mine　was　the　second　floor。〃

Bertram　gave　a　slow　shake　of　his　head。

〃I　know；　but　yours　was　a　freak　formation；〃　he　maintained　gravely。
〃It　DID　go　up　and　down。　　Honestly；　Billy；　we　did　carelots。　　Will
and　I　were　inconsolable；　and　even　Cyril　played　dirges　for　a　week。〃

〃Did　he？〃　gurgled　Billy；　with　sudden　joyousness。　　〃I'm　so　glad！〃

〃Thank　you；〃　murmured　Bertram；　disapprovingly。　　〃We　hadn't
considered　it　a　subject　for　exultation。〃

〃What？　　Oh；　I　didn't　mean　that！　　That　is〃　she　stopped　helplessly。

〃Oh；　never　mind　about　trying　to　explain；〃　interposed　Bertram。　　〃I
fancy　the　remedy　would　be　worse　than　the　disease；　in　this　case。〃

〃Nonsense！　　I　only　meant　that　I　like　to　be　missedsometimes；〃
retorted　Billy；　a　little　nettled。

〃And　you　rejoice　then　to　have　me　mope；　Cyril　play　dirges；　and　Will
wander　mournfully　about　the　house　with　Spunkie　in　his　arms！　　You
should　have　seen　William。　　If　his　forlornness　did　not　bring　tears
to　your　eyes；　the　grace　of　the　pink　bow　that　lopped　behind
Spunkie's　left　ear　would　surely　have　brought　a　copious　flow。〃

Billy　laughed；　but　her　eyes　grew　tender。

〃Did　Uncle　William　dothat？〃　she　asked。

〃He　didand　he　did　more。　　Pete　told　me　after　a　time　that　you　had
not　left　one　thing　in　the　house；　anywhere；　but　one　day；　over　behind
William's　most　treasured　Lowestoft；　I　found　a　small　shell　hairpin；
and　a　flat　brown　silk　button　that　I　recognized　as　coming　from　one
of　your　dresses。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Billy；　softly。　　〃Dear　Uncle　Williamand　how　good　he　was
to　me！〃



CHAPTER　XXIV

CYRIL；　THE　ENIGMA


Perhaps　it　was　because　Billy　saw　so　little　of　Cyril　that　it　was
Cyril　whom　she　wished　particularly　to　see。　　William；　Bertram；
Calderwellall　her　other　friends　came　frequently　to　the　little
house　on　the　hill；　Billy　told　herself；　only　Cyril　held　aloofand
it　was　Cyril　that　she　wanted。

Billy　said　that　it　was　his　music；　that　she　wanted　to　hear　him　play；
and　that　she　wanted　him　to　hear　her。　　She　felt　grieved　and
chagrined。　　Not　once　since　she　had　come　had　he　seemed　interested
really　interested　in　her　music。　　He　had　asked　her；　it　is　true；　in　a
perfunctory　way　what　she　had　done；　and　who　her　teachers　had　been。
But　all　the　while　she　was　answering　she　had　felt　that　he　was　not
listening；　that　he　did　not　care。　　And　she　cared　so　much！　　She　knew
now　that　all　her　practising　through　the　long　hard　months　of　study；
had　been　for　Cyril。　　Every　scale　had　been　smoothed　for　his　ears；
and　every　phrase　had　been　interpreted　with　his　approbation　in　view。
Across　the　wide　waste　of　waters　his　face　had　shone　like　a　star　of
promise；　beckoning　her　on　and　on　to　heights　unknown。　。　。　　And　now
she　was　here　in　Boston；　but　she　could　not　even　play　the　scale；　nor
interpret　the　phrase　for　the　ear　to　which　they　had　been　so
laboriously　attuned；　and　Cyril's　face；　in　the　flesh；　was　no
beckoning　star　of　promise；　but　was　a　thing　as　cold　and　relentless
as　was　the　waste　of　waters　across　which　it　had　shone　in　the　past。

Billy　did　not　understand　it。　　She　knew；　it　is　true；　of　Cyril's
reputed　aversion　to　women　in　general　and　to　noise；　but　she　was
neither　women　in　general　nor　noise；　she　told　herself　indignantly。
She　was　only　the　little　maid；　grown　three　years　older；　who　had　sat
at　his　feet　and　adoringly　listened　to　all　that　he　had　been　pleased
to　say　in　the　old　days　at　the　top　of　the　Strata。　　And　he　had　been
kind　thenvery　kind；　Billy　declared　stoutly。　　He　had　been　patient
and　interested；　too；　and　he　had　seemed　not　only　willing；　but　glad
to　teach　her；　while　now

Sometimes　Billy　thought　she　would　ask　him　candidly　what　was　the
matter。　　But　it　was　always　the　old；　frank　Billy　that　thought　this；
the　impulsive　Billy；　that　had　gone　up　to　Cyril's　rooms　years　before
and　cheerfully　announced　that　she　had　come　to　get　acquainted。　　It
was　never　the　sensible；　circumspect　Billy　that　Aunt　Hannah　had　for
three　years　been　shaping　and　coaxing　into　being。　　But　even　this
Billy　frowned　rebelliously；　and　declared　that　sometime　something
should　be　said　that　would　at　least　give　him　a　chance　to　explain。

In　all　the　weeks　since　Billy's　purchase　of　Hillside；　Cyril　had　been
there　only　twice；　and　it　was　nearly　Thanksgiving　now。　　Billy　had
seen　him　once　or　twice；　also；　at　the　Beacon　Street　house；　when　she
and　Aunt　Hannah　had　dined　there；　but　on　all　these　occasions　he　had
been　either　the　coldly　reserved　guest　or　the　painfully　punctilious
host。　　Never　had　he　been　in　the　least　approachable。

〃He　treats　me　exactly　as　he　treated　poor　little　Spunk　that　first
night；〃　Billy　declared　hotly　to　herself。

Only　once　since　she　came　had　Billy　heard　Cyril　play；　and　that　was
when　she　had　shared　the　privilege　with　hundreds　of　others　at　a
public　concert。　　She　had　sat　then　entranced；　with　her　eyes　on　the
clean…cut　handsome　profile　of　the　man　who　played　with　so　sure　a
skill　and　power；　yet　without　a　note　before　him。　　Afterward　she　had
met　him　face　to　face；　and　had　tried　to　tell　him　how　moved　she　was；
but　in　her　agitation；　and　because　of　a　strange　shyness　that　had
suddenly　come　to　her；　she　had　ended　only　in　stammering　out　some
flippant　banality　that　had　brought　to　his　face　merely　a　bored　smile
of　acknowledgment。

Twice　she　had　asked　him　to　play　for　her；　but　each　time　he　had
begged　to　be　excused；　courteously；　but　decidedly。

〃It's　no　use　to　tease；〃　Bertram　had　interposed　once；　with　an　airy
wave　of　his　hands。　　〃This　lion　always　did　refuse　to　roar　to　order。
If　you　really　must　hear　him；　you'll　have　to　slip　up…stairs　and　camp
outside　his　door；　waiting　patiently　for　such　crumbs　as　may　fall
from　his　table。〃

〃Aren't　your　metaphors　a　little　mixed？〃　questioned　Cyril　irritably。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　acknowledged　Bertram　with　unruffled　temper。　　〃but　I
don't　mind　if　Billy　doesn't。　　I　only　meant　her　to　understand　that
she'd　have　to　do　as　she　used　to　dolisten　outside　your　door。〃

Billy's　cheeks　reddened。

〃But　that　is　what　I　sha'n't　do；〃　she　retorted　with　spirit。　　〃And；
moreover；　I　still　have　hopes　that　some　day　he'll　play　to　me。〃

〃Maybe；〃　conceded　Bertram；　doubtfully；　〃if　the　stool　and　the　piano
and　the　pedals　and　the　weather　and　his　fingers　and　your　ears　and　my
watch　are　all　just　rightthen　he'll　play。〃

〃Nonsense！〃　scowled　Cyril。　　〃I'll　play；　of　course；　some　day。　　But
I'd　rather　not　today。〃　　And　there　the　matter　had　ended。　　Since　then
Billy　had　not　asked　him　to　play。



CHAPTER　XXV

THE　OLD　ROOMAND　BILLY


Thanksgiving　was　to　be　a　great　day　in　the　Henshaw　family。　　The
Henshaw　brothers　were　to　entertain。　　Billy　and　Aunt　Hannah　had　been
invited　to　dinner；　and　so　joyously　hospitable　was　William's
invitation　that　it　would　have　included　the　new　kitten　and　the
canary　if　Billy　would　have　consented　to　bring　them。

Once　more　Pete　swept　and　garnished　the　house；　and　once　more　Dong
Ling　spoiled　uncounted　squares　of　chocolate　trying　to　make　the
baffling　fudge。　　Bertram　said　that　the　entire　Strata　was　a…quiver。
Not　but　that　Billy　and　Aunt　Hannah　had　visited　there　before；　but
that　this　was　different。　　They　were　to　come　at　noon　this　time。
This　visit　was　not　to　be　a　tantalizing　little　piece　of　stiffness　an
hour　and　a　half　long。　　It　was　to　be　a　satisfying；　whole…souled
matter　of　half　a　day's　comradeship；　almost　like　old　times。　　So　once
more　the　roses　graced　the　rooms；　and　a　flaring　pink　bow　adorned
Spunkie's　fat　neck；　and　once　more　Bertram　placed　his　latest　〃Face
of　a　Girl〃　in　the　best