impose　on　you　so！''
  Aunt　Hannah；　to　be　sure；　offered　Rosa；　and
  Kate；　by　letter；　offered　adviceplenty　of　it。
  But　Billy；　stung　beyond　all　endurance；　and　fairly
  radiating　hurt　pride　and　dogged　determination；
  disdained　all　assistance；　and；　with　head　held　high；
  declared　she　was　getting　along　very　well；　very
  well　indeed！
  And　this　was　the　way　she　‘‘got　along。''
  First　came　Nora。　　Nora　was　a　blue…eyed；　black…
  haired　Irish　girl；　the　sixth　that　the　despairing
  Billy　had　interviewed　on　that　fateful　morning
  when　Bertram　had　summoned　her　to　his　aid。
  Nora　stayed　two　days。　　During　her　reign　the
  entire　Strata　echoed　to　banged　doors；　dropped
  china；　and　slammed　furniture。　　At　her　departure
  the　Henshaws'　possessions　were　less　by　four　cups；
  two　saucers；　one　plate；　one　salad　bowl；　two　cut
  glass　tumblers；　and　a　teapotthe　latter　William's
  choicest　bit　of　Lowestoft。
  Olga　came　next。　　Olga　was　a　Treasure。　　She
  was　low…voiced；　gentle…eyed；　and　a　good　cook。
  She　stayed　a　week。　　By　that　time　the　growing
  frequency　of　the　disappearance　of　sundry　small
  articles　of　value　and　convenience　led　to　Billy's
  making　a　reluctant　search　of　Olga's　roomand
  to　Olga's　departure；　for　the　room　was；　indeed；　a
  treasure　house；　the　Treasure　having　gathered
  unto　itself　other　treasures。
  Following　Olga　came　a　period　of　what　Bertram
  called　‘‘one　night　stands；''　so　frequently　were　the
  dramatis　person　below　stairs　changed。　　Gretchen
  drank。　　Christine　knew　only　four　words　of　English：
  salt；　good…by；　no；　and　yes；　and　Billy　found
  need　occasionally　of　using　other　words。　　Mary
  was　impertinent　and　lazy。　　Jennie　could　not　even
  boil　a　potato　properly；　much　less　cook　a　dinner。
  Sarah　（colored）　was　willing　and　pleasant；　but
  insufferably　untidy。　　Bridget　was　neatness　itself；
  but　she　had　no　conception　of　the　value　of　time。
  Her　meals　were　always　from　thirty　to　sixty
  minutes　late；　and　half…cooked　at　that。　　Vera
  sangwhen　she　wasn't　whistlingand　as　she
  was　generally　off　the　key；　and　always　off　the
  tune；　her　almost　frantic　mistress　dismissed　her
  before　twenty…four　hours　had　passed。　　Then　came
  Mary　Ellen。
  Mary　Ellen　began　well。　　She　was　neat；　capable；
  and　obliging；　but　it　did　not　take　her　long　to
  discover　just　how　muchand　how　littleher
  mistress　really　knew　of　practical　housekeeping。
  Matters　and　things　were　very　different　then。
  Mary　Ellen　became　argumentative；　impertinent；
  and　domineering。　　She　openly　shirked　her　work；
  when　it　pleased　her　so　to　do；　and　demanded
  perquisites　and　privileges　so　insolently　that　even
  William　asked　Billy　one　day　whether　Mary　Ellen
  or　Billy　herself　were　the　mistress　of　the　Strata：
  and　Bertram；　with　mock　humility；　inquired　how
  _soon_　Mary　Ellen　would　be　wanting　the　house。
  Billy；　in　weary　despair；　submitted　to　this　bullying
  for　almost　a　week；　then；　in　a　sudden　accession
  of　outraged　dignity　that　left　Mary　Ellen　gasping
  with　surprise；　she　told　the　girl　to　go。
  And　thus　the　days　passed。　　The　maids　came
  and　the　maids　went；　and；　to　Billy；　each　one　seemed
  a　little　worse　than　the　one　before。　　Nowhere　was
  there　comfort；　rest；　or　peacefulness。　　The　nights
  were　a　torture　of　apprehension；　and　the　days　an
  even　greater　torture　of　fulfilment。　　Noise；　confusion；
  meals　poorly　cooked　and　worse　served；　dust；
  disorder；　and　uncertainty。　　And　this　was　_home_；
  Billy　told　herself　bitterly。　　No　wonder　that　Bertram
  telephoned　more　and　more　frequently　that
  he　had　met　a　friend；　and　was　dining　in　town。　　No
  wonder　that　William　pushed　back　his　plate　almost
  every　meal　with　his　food　scarcely　touched；　and
  then　wandered　about　the　house　with　that　hungry；
  homesick；　homeless　look　that　nearly　broke　her
  heart。　　No　wonder；　indeed！
  And　so　it　had　come。　　It　was　true。　　Aunt　Hannah
  and　Kate　and　the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''
  were　right。　　She　had　not　been　fit　to　marry　Bertram。
  She　had　not　been　fit　to　marry　anybody。
  Her　honeymoon　was　not　only　waning；　but　going
  into　a　total　eclipse。　　Had　not　Bertram　already
  declared　that　if　she　would　tend　to　her　husband
  and　her　home　a　little　more
  Billy　clenched　her　small　hands　and　set　her
  round　chin　squarely。
  Very　well；　she　would　show　them。　　She　would
  tend　to　her　husband　and　her　home。　　She　fancied
  she　could　_learn_　to　run　that　house；　and　run　it　well！
  And　forthwith　she　descended　to　the　kitchen　and
  told　the　then　reigning　tormentor　that　her　wages
  would　be　paid　until　the　end　of　the　week；　but
  that　her　services　would　be　immediately　dispensed
  with。
  Billy　was　well　aware　now　that　housekeeping
  was　a　matter　of　more　than　muffins　and　date　puffs。
  She　could　gauge；　in　a　measure；　the　magnitude　of
  the　task　to　which　she　had　set　herself。　　But　she
  did　not　falter；　and　very　systematically　she　set
  about　making　her　plans。
  With　a　good　stout　woman　to　come　in　twice　a
  week　for　the　heavier　work；　she　believed　she　could
  manage　by　herself　very　well　until　Eliza　could　come
  back。　　At　least　she　could　serve　more　palatable
  meals　than　the　most　of　those　that　had　appeared
  lately；　and　at　least　she　could　try　to　make　a　home
  that　would　not　drive　Bertram　to　club　dinners；
  and　Uncle　William　to　hungry　wanderings　from
  room　to　room。　　Meanwhile；　all　the　time；　she　could
  be　learning；　and　in　due　course　she　would　reach
  that　shining　goal　of　Housekeeping　Efficiency；
  short　of　whichaccording　to　Aunt　Hannah　and
  the　‘‘Talk　to　Young　Wives''no　woman　need
  hope　for　a　waneless　honeymoon。
  So　chaotic　and　erratic　had　been　the　household
  service；　and　so　quietly　did　Billy　slip　into　her　new
  role；　that　it　was　not　until　the　second　meal　after
  the　maid's　departure　that　the　master　of　the　house
  discovered　what　had　happened。　　Then；　as　his
  wife　rose　to　get　some　forgotten　article；　he　questioned；
  with　uplifted　eyebrows：
  ‘‘Too　good　to　wait　upon　us；　is　my　lady　now；
  eh？''
  ‘‘My　lady　is　waiting　on　you；''　smiled　Billy。
  ‘‘Yes；　I　see　_this_　lady　is；''　retorted　Bertram；
  grimly；　‘‘but　I　mean　our　real　lady　in　the　kitchen。
  Great　Scott；　Billy；　how　long　are　you　going　to
  stand　this？''
  Billy　tossed　her　head　airily；　though　she　shook
  in　her　shoes。　　Billy　had　been　dreading　this　moment。
  ‘‘I'm　not　standing　it。　　She's　gone；''　responded
  Billy；　cheerfully；　resuming　her　seat。　　‘‘Uncle
  William；　sha'n't　I　give　you　some　more　pudding？''
  ‘‘Gone；　so　soon？''　groaned　Bertram；　as　William
  passed　his　plate；　with　a　smiling　nod。　　‘‘Oh；
  well；''　went　on　Bertram；　resignedly；　‘‘she　stayed
  longer　than　the　last　one。　　When　is　the　next　one
  coming？''
  ‘‘She's　already　here。''
  Bertram　frowned。
  ‘‘Here？　　Butyou　served　the　dessert；　and''
  At　something　in　Billy's　face；　a　quick　suspicion
  came　into　his　own。　　‘‘Billy；　you　don't　mean　that
  you_you_''
  ‘‘Yes；''　she　nodded　brightly；　‘‘that's　just　what
  I　mean。　　I'm　the　next　one。''
  ‘‘Nonsense！''　exploded　Bertram；　wrathfully。
  ‘‘Oh；　come；　Billy；　we've　been　all　over　this
  before。　　You　know　I　can't　have　it。''
  ‘‘Yes；　you　can。　　You've　got　to　have　it；''
  retorted　Billy；　still　with　that　disarming；　airy
  cheerfulness。　　‘‘Besides；　'twon't　be　half　so　bad　as　you
  think。　　Wasn't　that　a　good　pudding　to…night？
  Didn't　you　both　come　back　for　more？　　Well；　I
  made　it。''
  ‘‘Puddings！''　ejaculated　Bertram；　with　an
  impatient　gesture。　　‘‘Billy；　as　I've　said　before；　it　takes
  something　besides　puddings　to　run　this　house。''
  ‘‘Yes；　I　know　it　does；''　dimpled　Billy；　‘‘and
  I've　got　Mrs。　Durgin　for　that　part。　　She's　coming
  twice　a　week；　and　more；　if　I　need　her。　　Why；
  dearie；　you　don't　know　anything　about　how
  comfortable　you're　going　to　be！　　I'll　leave　it　to
  Uncle　William　if''
  But　Uncle　William　had　gone。　　Silently　he　had
  slipped　from　his　chair　and　disappeared。　　Uncle
  William；　it　might　be　mentioned　in　passing；　had
  never　quite　forgotten　Aunt　Hannah's　fateful　call
  with　its　dire　revelations　concerning　a　certain
  unwanted；　superfluous；　third…party　husband's
  brother。　　Remembering　this；　there　were　times
  when　he　thought　absence　was　both　safest　and
  best。　　This　was　one　of　the　times。
  ‘‘But；　Billy；　dear；''　still　argued　Bertram；
  irritably；　‘‘how　can　you？　　You　don't　know　how。
  You've　had　no　experience。''
  Billy　threw　back　her　shoulders。　　An　ominous
  light　came　to　her　eyes。　　She　was　no　longer　airily
  playful。
  ‘‘That's　exactly　it；　Bertram。　　I　don't　know
  howbut　I'm　going　to　learn。　　I　haven't　had
  experiencebut　I'm　going　to　get　it。　　I　_can't_
  make　a　worse　mess　of　it　than　we've　had　ever
  since　Eliza　went；　anyway！''
  ‘‘But　if　you'd　get　a　maida　good　maid；''
  persisted　Bertram；　feebly。
  ‘‘I　had　_one_Mary　Ellen。　　She　was　a　good
  maiduntil　she　found　out　how　little　her　mistress
  knew；　thenwell；　you　know　what　it　was
  then。　　Do　you　think　I'd　let　that　thing　happen　to
  me　again？　　No；　sir！　　I'm　going　into　training　for
  my　next　Mary　Ellen！''　　And　with　a　very
  majestic　air　Billy　rose　from　the　table　and　began
  to　clear　away　the　dishes。
  CHAPTER　XVII