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025 - Should Auld Aquantaince Be Forgot · Miss Billy Married

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty five of Miss Billy Married. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Phil Schinevert. Miss Billy Married by Eleanor H. Porter,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty five. Should old acquaintance be forgot? Bertram did
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  Speaker 1: not ask Billy very soon again to go to the
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  Speaker 1: theater for some days. Indeed, he did not ask her
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  Speaker 1: to do anything. Then one evening he did beg for
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  Speaker 1: some music. Billy, you haven't played to me or sung
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  Speaker 1: to me since I could remember, He complained, I want
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  Speaker 1: some music. Billy gave a merry laugh and wriggled her
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  Speaker 1: fingers experimentally. Mercy, Bertram, I don't believe I could play
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  Speaker 1: a note. You know, I'm all out of practice. But
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  Speaker 1: why don't you practice? Why? Bertram? I can't in the
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  Speaker 1: first place. I don't seem to have any time except
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  Speaker 1: when baby's asleep and I can't play. Then i'd wake
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  Speaker 1: him up. Bertram sighed, ere rose to his feet, and
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  Speaker 1: began to walk up and down the room. He came
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  Speaker 1: to a pause at last, his eyes bent a trifle
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  Speaker 1: disapprovingly on his wife, Billy. Dear, don't you wear anything
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  Speaker 1: but those rapper things nowadays? He asked plaintively. Again Billy laughed,
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  Speaker 1: but this time a troubled frown followed the laugh. I know, Bertram,
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  Speaker 1: I suppose they do look dowdy sometimes, she confessed, But
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  Speaker 1: you see, I hate to wear a really good dress.
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  Speaker 1: Baby rumples them up so and I'm usually in a
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  Speaker 1: hurry to get him mornings, and these are so easy
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  Speaker 1: to slip into, and so much more comfortable for me
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  Speaker 1: to handle him in. Yes, of course, of course, I see,
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  Speaker 1: mumbled Bertram, listlessly, taking up his walk again. Billy, after
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  Speaker 1: a moment's silence, began to talk animatedly. Baby had done
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  Speaker 1: a wonderfully cunning thing that morning, and Billy had not
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  Speaker 1: had a chance yet to tell Bertram. Baby was growing
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  Speaker 1: more and more cunning anyway these days, and there were
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  Speaker 1: several things she believed she had not told him, so
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  Speaker 1: she told him now. Bertram listened politely interestedly. He told
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  Speaker 1: himself that he was interested too, of course, he was
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  Speaker 1: interested in the doings of his own child. But he
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  Speaker 1: still walked up and down the room a little restlessly,
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  Speaker 1: coming to a halt at last by the window across
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  Speaker 1: which the shade had not been drawn. Billy, he cried suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: with his old boyish earnestness, there's a glorious moon. Come on,
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  Speaker 1: let's take a little walk. A real fellow and his
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  Speaker 1: best girl walk, Will you mercy, Dear, I couldn't, cried Billy,
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  Speaker 1: springing to her feet. I'd love to, though, if I could,
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  Speaker 1: she added hastily, as she saw disappointment cloud her husband's face.
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  Speaker 1: But I told Delia she might go out. It isn't
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  Speaker 1: her regular evening, of course, But I told her I
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  Speaker 1: didn't mind staying with baby a bit, so I'll have
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  Speaker 1: to go right up now. She'll be going soon. But dear,
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  Speaker 1: you go and take your walk. It'll do you good.
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  Speaker 1: Then you can come back and tell me all about it.
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  Speaker 1: Only you must come in quietly so as not to
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  Speaker 1: wake the baby. She finished, giving her a husband and
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  Speaker 1: affectionate kiss as she left the room. After a disconsolate
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  Speaker 1: five minutes of solitude, Bertram got his hat and coat
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  Speaker 1: and went out for his walk, But he told himself
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  Speaker 1: he did not expect to enjoy it. Bertram Henshaw knew
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  Speaker 1: that the old rebellious jealousy of the summer had him
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  Speaker 1: fast in its grip. He was heartily ashamed of himself,
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  Speaker 1: but he could not help it. He wanted Billy, and
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  Speaker 1: he wanted her. Then he wanted to talk to her.
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  Speaker 1: He wanted to tell her about a new portrait commission
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  Speaker 1: he had just obtained, and he wanted to ask her
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  Speaker 1: what she thought of the idea of a brand new
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  Speaker 1: face of a girl for the Bohemian ten exhibition next March,
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  Speaker 1: he wanted. But then what would be the use She
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  Speaker 1: would listen, of course, but he would know by the
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  Speaker 1: very looks of her face that she would not be
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  Speaker 1: really thinking of what he was saying, and he would
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  Speaker 1: be willing to wager his best canvas that in the
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  Speaker 1: very first pause she would tell about the baby's newest
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  Speaker 1: tooth or latest toy. Not but that he liked to
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  Speaker 1: hear about the little fellow, of course, and not but
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  Speaker 1: that he was proud as punch of him too, but
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  Speaker 1: that he would like sometimes to hear Billy talk of
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  Speaker 1: something else. The sweetest melody in the world, if dinned
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  Speaker 1: into one's ears day and night, became something to be
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  Speaker 1: fled from. And Billy ought to talk of something else too.
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  Speaker 1: Bertram Junior wonderful as he was, really was not the
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  Speaker 1: only thing in the world, or even the only baby,
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  Speaker 1: and other people, outsiders their friends, had a right to
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  Speaker 1: expect that sometimes other matters might be considered their own,
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  Speaker 1: for instance, but Billy seemed to have forgotten this. No
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  Speaker 1: matter whether the subject of conversation had to do with
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  Speaker 1: the latest novel or a trip to Europe, under Billy's guidance,
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  Speaker 1: it invariably led straight to babies Jack and Jill book
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  Speaker 1: or to a perambulator journey in the public garden. If
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  Speaker 1: it had not been so serious, it would have been
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  Speaker 1: really funny, the way all roads led straight to one goal.
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  Speaker 1: He himself, when alone with Billy, had started the most
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  Speaker 1: unusual and foreign subjects, sometimes just to see if there
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  Speaker 1: were not somewhere a little bypath that did not bring
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  Speaker 1: up in his own nursery. He never, however, found one.
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  Speaker 1: But it was not funny. It was serious. Was this
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  Speaker 1: glorious gift of parenthood to which he had looked forward
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  Speaker 1: as the crowning joy of his existence, to be nothing
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  Speaker 1: but a tragedy that would finally wreck his domestic happiness.
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  Speaker 1: It could not be, It must not be. He must
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  Speaker 1: be patient and wait Billy loved him, He was sure
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  Speaker 1: she did. By and by this obsession of motherhood which
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  Speaker 1: had her so fast in its grip, would rely she
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  Speaker 1: would remember that her husband had rights as well as
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  Speaker 1: her child. Once again she would give him the companionship, love,
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  Speaker 1: and sympathetic interest so dear to him. Meanwhile, there was
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  Speaker 1: his work. He must bury himself in that, And fortunate
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  Speaker 1: indeed he was. He told himself that he had something
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  Speaker 1: so absorbing. It was at this point in his meditations
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  Speaker 1: that Bertram rounded a corner and came face to face
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  Speaker 1: with a man who stopped him short with a jovial
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  Speaker 1: isn't it by George? It is Bertie Henshaw? Well, what
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  Speaker 1: do you think of that? For Luck and me only
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  Speaker 1: two days home from gay Perry. Oh, sever how are you?
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  Speaker 1: You are a stranger? Bertram's voice and handshake were a
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  Speaker 1: bit more cordial than they would have been had he
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  Speaker 1: not at the moment been feeling so abused and forlorn.
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  Speaker 1: In the old days, he had liked this Bob sever Well,
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  Speaker 1: sever was an art like himself, and was good company always.
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  Speaker 1: But sever and his crowd were a little too bohemian
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  Speaker 1: for William's taste, And after Billy came. She too had
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  Speaker 1: objected to what she called that horrid sever man. In
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  Speaker 1: his heart, Bertram knew that there was good foundation for
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  Speaker 1: their objections, so he had avoided sever for a time,
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  Speaker 1: and for some years now the man had been abroad,
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  Speaker 1: somewhat Bertram's relief. Tonight, however, Sever's genial smile and hearty
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  Speaker 1: friendliness were like a sudden burst of sunshine on a
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  Speaker 1: rainy day, and Bertram detested rainy days. He was feeling now, too,
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  Speaker 1: as if he had just met a whole week of them. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: I am something of a stranger here, not as sever,
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  Speaker 1: but I tell you what, little old Boston looks mighty
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  Speaker 1: good to me all the same. Come on, you're just
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  Speaker 1: the fellow we want. I'm on my way now to
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  Speaker 1: the old stamping ground. Come right about, face old chap
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  Speaker 1: and come with me. Bertram shook his head. Sorry, but
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  Speaker 1: I guess I can't tonight, he sighed. Both gesture and
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  Speaker 1: words were unhesitating, but the voice carried the discontent of
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  Speaker 1: a small boy who, while the sun is still shining,
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  Speaker 1: has been told to come into the house. Oh rats,
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  Speaker 1: yes you can to come on. Lots of the old
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  Speaker 1: crowd will be there, Griggs, b B. Jack Jenkins, and Tully.
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  Speaker 1: We need you to complete the show. Jack Jenkins, is
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  Speaker 1: he here? A new eagerness had come into Bertram's voice.
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  Speaker 1: Sure he came on from New York last night, great
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  Speaker 1: boy Jenkins, just back from Paris, fairly covered with metals.
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  Speaker 1: You know, Yes, so I hear I haven't seen him
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  Speaker 1: for four years. Better come tonight than no, began Bertram
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  Speaker 1: with obvious reluctance. It's already nine o'clock and nine o'clock
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  Speaker 1: cut in sever with the broidgrin. Since when has your
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  Speaker 1: limit been nine o'clock? I've seen the time when you
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  Speaker 1: didn't mind nine o'clock in the morning, Bertie, what's got Oh?
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  Speaker 1: I remember I met another friend of yours in Berlin
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  Speaker 1: chap named Arkwright, and say he's some singer. You bet
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  Speaker 1: you're going to hear of him one of these days. Well,
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  Speaker 1: he told me all about how you settle down now
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  Speaker 1: sun and air fireside, bliss, pretty wife and all the fixin's.
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  Speaker 1: But I say, Bertie, doesn't she let you out any nonsense?
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  Speaker 1: Sever flared Bertram in annoyed Wrath. Well, then why don't
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  Speaker 1: you come tonight if you want to see Jenkins, you'll
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  Speaker 1: have to he's going back to New York tomorrow. For
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  Speaker 1: only a brief minute longer did Bertram hesitate. Then he
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  Speaker 1: turned squarely about with an air of finality. Is he well,
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  Speaker 1: then perhaps I will, he said. I'd hate to miss Jenkins.
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  Speaker 1: Entirely good, exclaimed his companion as they fell into step.
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  Speaker 1: Have a cigar, thanks, don't mind if for dow if
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  Speaker 1: Bertram Chin was a little higher and to step a
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  Speaker 1: little more decided than usual, it was all merely by
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  Speaker 1: way of accompaniment to his thoughts. Certainly it was right
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  Speaker 1: that he should go, and it was sensible. Indeed, it
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  Speaker 1: was really almost imperative due to Billy, as it were,
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  Speaker 1: after that disagreeable taunt of Sever's, as if she did
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  Speaker 1: not want him to go when and where he pleased,
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  Speaker 1: as if she would consent for a moment to figure
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  Speaker 1: in the eyes of his friends as a tyrannical wife
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  Speaker 1: who objected to her husband's passing a social evening with
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  Speaker 1: his friends. To be sure, in this particular case, she
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  Speaker 1: might not favor Sever's presence, but even she would not
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  Speaker 1: mind this once and anyhow, it was Jenkins that was
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  Speaker 1: the attraction, not sever Besides, he himself was no undeveloped boy.
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  Speaker 1: Now he was a man, presumedly able to care for himself. Besides, again,
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  Speaker 1: had not Billy herself told him to go out and
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  Speaker 1: enjoy the evening without her, as she had to stay
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  Speaker 1: with the baby. He would telephone her, of course, that
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  Speaker 1: he had met some old friends, and that he might
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  Speaker 1: be late. Then she would not worry. And forthwith, having
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  Speaker 1: settled the matter in his mind, and to his complete satisfaction,
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  Speaker 1: Bertram gave his undivided attention to sever who had already
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  Speaker 1: plunged into an account of a recent art exhibition he
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  Speaker 1: had attended in Paris. End of Chapter twenty five,