.

AFTER THE STORM.
The young husband's apologies were profuse and abject.

Bertram was heartily ashamed of himself, and was man enough to acknowledge it.
Almost on his knees he begged Billy to forgive him; and in a frenzy of self-denunciation he followed her down into the kitchen that night, piteously beseeching her to speak to him, to just _look_ at him, even, so that he might know he was not utterly despised--though he did, indeed, deserve to be more than despised, he moaned.
At first Billy did not speak, or even vouchsafe a glance in his direction.

Very quietly she went about her preparations for a simple meal, paying apparently no more attention to Bertram than as if he were not there.

But that her ears were only seemingly, and not really deaf, was shown very clearly a little later, when, at a particularly abject wail on the part of the babbling shadow at her heels, Billy choked into a little gasp, half laughter, half sob.