e, for the good of the cause, make
up quick, or else quarrel harder and break it off entirely--which,
honestly, would be the better way, I think, all around.

"There, there, my dear child, don't bristle up! I am very fond of you,
and would dearly love to have you for a sister--if you'd only take
William, as you should! But, as you very well know, I never did approve
of this last match at all, for either of your sakes.

"He can't make you happy, my dear, and you can't make him happy.
Bertram never was--and never will be--a marrying man. He's too
temperamental--too thoroughly wrapped up in his Art. Girls have never
meant anything to him but a beautiful picture to paint. And they never
will. They can't. He's made that way. Listen! I can prove it to you. Up
to this winter he's always been a care-free, happy, jolly fellow, and
you _know_ what beautiful work he has done. Never before has he tied
himself to any one girl till last fall. Then you two entered into this
absurd engagement.

"Now what has it been since? William wrote me himself not a fortnight
ago that he'd been worried to death over Bertram for weeks past,
he's been so moody, so irritable, so fretted over his work, so unlike
himself. And his picture has _failed_ dismally. Of course William
doesn't understand; but I do. I know you've probably quarrelled, or
something. You know how flighty and unreliable you can be sometimes,
Billy, and I don't say that to mean anything against you, either--that's
_your_ way. You're just as temperamental in your art, music, as Bertram
is in his. You're utterly unsuited to him. If Bertram is to marry
_anybody_, it should be some quiet, staid, sensible girl who would be
a _help_ to him. But when I think of you two flyaway flutterbudgets
marrying--!

"Now, for heaven's sake, Billy, _do_ make up or something--and do it
now. Don't, for pity's sake, let Bertram ever put out another such a
piece of work to shame us all like this. Do you want to ruin his career?

"Faithfully yours,

"KATE HARTWELL.

"P. S. _I_ think William's the one for you. He's devoted to you, and
his quiet, sensible affection is just what your temperament needs. I
_always_ thought William was the one for you. Think it over.

"P. S. No. 2. You can see by the above that it isn't you I'm objecting
to, my dear. It's just _you-and-Bertram_.

"K."

CHAPTER XXX. "I'VE HINDERED HIM"

Billy was shaking with anger and terror by the time she had finished
read