第34章

Bertramwasnotquitehimselfthatnight。Billyadmittedthem。Shehadplainlybeenwatchingandwaiting。Arkwrightneverforgotthelookonherfaceashereyesmethis。Therewasacuriousmixtureofterror，hurtpride，relief，andshame，overtoppedbyafierceloyaltywhichalmostseemedtosayaloudthewords：Don’tyoudaretoblamehim!’

Arkwright’sheartachedwithsympathyandadmirationattheproudlycourageouswayinwhichBillycarriedoffthenextfewpainfulminutes。Evenwhenhebadehergoodnightalittlelater，onlyhereyessaidthankyou。’Herlipsweredumb。

ArkwrightoftenwenthomewithBertramafterthat。Notthatitwasalwaysnecessary——

farfromit。Sometime，indeed，elapsedbeforehehadquitethesameexcuseagainforhispresence。

ButhehadfoundthatoccasionallyhecouldgetBertramhomeearlierbyadroitsuggestionsofonekindoranother；andmoreandmorefrequentlyhewassucceedingingettinghimhomeforagameofchess。

Bertramlikedchess，andwasafineplayer。

Sincebreakinghisarmhehadturnedtogameswiththefeverisheagernessofonewholooksforsomethingabsorbingtofillanunrestfulmind。

ItwasSeaver’sskillinchessthathadatfirstattractedBertramtothemanlongago；butBertramcouldbeathimeasily——tooeasilyformuchpleasureinitnow。Sotheydidnotplaychessoftenthesedays。Bertramhadfoundthat，inspiteofhisinjury，hecouldstilltakepartinothergames，andsomeofthem，ifnotsointricateaschess，wereatleastmoreapttotakehismindoffhimself，especiallyiftherewereabitofmoneyuptoaddzestandinterest。

Asithappened，however，BertramlearnedonedaythatArkwrightcouldplaychess——andplaywell，too，ashediscoveredaftertheirfirstgametogether。ThisfactcontributednotalittletosuchsuccessasArkwrightwashavinginhiseffortstoweanBertramfromhisundesirablecompanions；forBertramsoonfoundoutthatArkwrightwasmorethanamatchforhimself，andtheoccasionalgameshedidsucceedinwinningonlywhettedhisappetiteformore。

Manyaneveningnow，therefore，wasspentbythetwomeninBertram’sden，withBillyanxiouslyhoveringnear，hereyeslonginglywatchingeitherherhusband’sabsorbedfaceortheprettylittleredandwhiteivoryfigures，whichseemedtopossesssowonderfulapowertoholdhisattention。Inspiteofherjoyatthechessmen’sefficacyinkeepingBertramathome，however，shewasalmostjealousofthem。

Mr。Arkwright，couldn’tyoushow_me_howtoplay，sometime？’shesaidwistfully，oneevening，whenthemomentaryabsenceofBertramhadleftthetwoalonetogether。IusedtowatchBertramandMarieplayyearsago；butIneverknewhowtoplaymyself。NotthatI

canseewherethefunisinjustsittingstaringatachessboardforhalfanhouratatime，though!

ButBertramlikesit，andsoI——Iwanttolearntostarewithhim。Willyouteachme？’

Ishouldbegladto，’smiledArkwright。

Thenwillyoucome，maybe，sometimeswhenBertramisatthedoctor’s？HegoeseveryTuesdayandFridayatthreeo’clockfortreatment。

I’dratheryoucamethenfortworeasons：

first，becauseIdon’twantBertramtoknowI’mlearning，tillIcanplay_some_；and，secondly，because——becauseIdon’twanttotakeyouaway——fromhim。’

Thelastwordswerespokenverylow，andwereaccompaniedbyapainfulblush。ItwasthefirsttimeBillyhadeverhintedtoArkwright，inwords，thatsheunderstoodwhathewastryingtodo。

I’llcomenextTuesday，’promisedArkwright，withacheerfullyunobservantair。ThenBertramcamein，bringingthebookofChessProblems，forwhichhehadgoneup-stairs。

Promptlyatthreeo’clockTuesdayafternoonArkwrightappearedattheStrata，andforthenexthourBillydidherbesttolearnthenamesandthemovesoftheprettylittleivorymen。

Butattheendofthehourshewasalmostreadytogiveupindespair。

Ifthereweren’tsomanykinds，andiftheydidn’tallinsistondoingsomethingdifferent，itwouldn’tbesobad，’shesighed。Buthowcanyoubeexpectedtorememberwhichgoesdiagonal，andwhichcrisscross，andwhichcan’tgobutonesquare，andwhichcanskip’wayacros

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