and falls in love with her; but she never
knows it. He is poor and too honorable to tell her his love, so he just
wastes away, and she never guesses. It's all terribly sad."

"Well, yes, I should say so," Billy observed. "Are the others as
forlorn?"

"No. Gerald is a student, and Marianne's cousin, who lives next door.
He's jolly, with yellow hair, and means to be a doctor. He loves Violet,
even if she is poor. He has a friend, Eugene, that isn't well,--not
hectic a bit, but has trouble with his eyes or something, so he can't
work, and comes to spend the summer there, and falls in love with
Marianne. They all have great times, and poor Alessandro, in bed
upstairs, can hear all their fun, when they sit on the piazza in the
moonlight, and he buries his head in the pillows and sobs. One night,
just in fun, Marianne makes her will and leaves all she has to Violet.
Then Marianne and Eugene get engaged. Then Marianne dies of a fever, and
they find the will and accuse Violet of killing her, and Eugene is so
sorrowful that he goes into a convent."

"I thought men usually took to a monastery."

"What's the difference? Well, they have a trial, and Gerald stops being
a doctor and studies law and makes a brilliant plea and saves her.
Then, right in the court-room before them all, he presses her hand to
his lips and cries, 'Mine! Mine forever!' and the whole room full of
people thunders applause."

Theodora paused. Her cheeks were glowing with excitement. Billy had
turned away his head and his arm half shielded his face.

"What do you think?" she demanded.

"It's great," he answered, with an odd huskiness in his tone.

"You really like it? You're not laughing at me?" Her tone was eager, yet
mistrustful.

Billy's loyalty asserted itself. He took down his arm.

"Honestly, Ted, it's a great thing," he said with perfect gravity. "It's
different, too; not just like all the others."

Theodora drew a deep sigh of relief as she nestled back in the chair.

"I'm so glad you like it, Billy, for I did want you to. You're the only
living soul I've ever told, and now, if you don't think it's too bad,
I'm going right to work on it." There was still a little note of
question in her voice.

Billy held out his hand to her.

"Do you know what I honestly think, Teddy? Some day, you'll get there.
If I were in your place, I'd go right to work on this, and I don't
believe you'll ever be sorry. This first one may not be the success; but
I