Thislineofthoughtheabandonedquickly，however;itcoulddonogood.Butwhatcoulddogood，heaskedhimself.Whatcouldhedo？
Withblindingforcecametheanswer：hecoulddonothing.Billycaredforhim.Billyhadsaid\"yes.\"Billyexpectedtobehiswife.Asifhecouldsaytohernow：\"Ibegyourpardon，but’twasallamistake._I_didnotaskyoutomarryme.\"
VeryvaliantlythenWilliamsummonedhiswitsandtriedtoacthispart.Hetoldhimself，too，thatitwouldnotbeahardone;thathelovedBillydearly，andthathewouldtrytomakeherhappy.Hewincedalittleatthisthought，forherememberedsuddenlyhowoldhewas——asifhe，athisage，wereafitmatchforagirloftwenty—one！
AndthenhelookedatBilly.Thegirlwasplainlynervous.Therewasadeepflushonhercheeksandabrilliantsparkleinhereyes.
Shewastalkingrapidly——almostincoherentlyattimes——andhervoicewastremulous.Frequentlittleembarrassedlaughspunctuatedhersentences，andherfingerstoyedwitheverythingthatcamewithinreach.Sometimebeforeshehadsprungtoherfeetandhadturnedontheelectriclights;andwhenshecamebackshehadnottakenheroldpositionatWilliam’sside，buthadseatedherselfinachairnearby.Allofwhich，accordingtoWilliam’seyes，meantthemaidenlyshynessofagirlwhohasjustsaid\"yes\"tothemansheloves.