Bertram was a great comfort to her
these days. Never, in word or look, could she see that he overstepped
the role which he had promised to play--William's brother.
Billy went back to her music, too. A new melody was running through her
head, and she longed to put it on paper. Already her first little "Group
of Songs" had found friends, and Billy, to a very modest extent, was
beginning to taste the sweets of fame.
Thus, by all these interests, did Billy try "to get used to things."
CHAPTER XXXIX
A LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER
Of all Billy's guests, Marie was very plainly the happiest. She was a
permanent guest, it is true, while the others came for only a week or
two at a time; but it was not this, Billy decided, that had brought so
brilliant a sparkle to Marie's eyes, so joyous a laugh to her lips. The
joyousness was all the more noticeable, because heretofore Marie, while
very sweet, had been also sad. Her big blue eyes had always carried a
haunting shadow, and her step had lacked the spring belonging to youth
and happiness. Certainly, Billy had never seen her like this before.
"Verily, Marie," she teased one day, "have you found an exhaustless
supply of stockings to mend, or a never-done pudding to make--which?"
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing. I was only wondering just what had brought that new light
to your eyes.
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