Thetwostoodupandfacedeachother，grippinghands。Itwasagreatmoment；evenMcTeaguefeltthedramaofit。
Whatafinethingwasthisfriendshipbetweenmen！thedentisttreatshisfriendforanulceratedtoothandrefusespayment；thefriendreciprocatesbygivinguphisgirl。
Thiswasnobility。Theirmutualaffectionandesteemsuddenlyincreasedenormously。ItwasDamonandPythias；itwasDavidandJonathan；nothingcouldeverestrangethem。
Nowitwasforlifeordeath。
“I’mmuchobliged，“murmuredMcTeague。Hecouldthinkofnothingbettertosay。“I’mmuchobliged，“herepeated；
“muchobliged，Mark。“
“That’sallright，that’sallright，“returnedMarcusSchouler，bravely，anditoccurredtohimtoadd，“You’llbehappytogether。Tellherforme——tellher——tellher——“
Marcuscouldnotgoon。Hewrungthedentist’shandsilently。
IthadnotappearedtoeitherofthemthatTrinamightrefuseMcTeague。McTeague’sspiritsroseatonce。InMarcus’swithdrawalhefanciedhesawanendtoallhisdifficulties。Everythingwouldcomeright，afterall。Thestrained，exaltedstateofMarcus’snervesendedbyputtinghimintofinehumoraswell。Hisgriefsuddenlychangedtoanexcessofgaiety。Theafternoonwasasuccess。Theyslappedeachotheronthebackwithgreatblowsoftheopenpalms，andtheydrankeachother’shealthinathirdroundofbeer。
TenminutesafterhisrenunciationofTrinaSieppe，MarcusastoundedMcTeaguewithatremendousfeat。
“Lookahere，Mac。Iknowsomethunyoucan’tdo。I’llbetyoutwobitsI’llstumpyou。“Theyeachputaquarteronthetable。“Nowwatchme，“criedMarcus。Hecaughtupabilliardballfromtherack，poiseditamomentinfrontofhisface，thenwithasudden，horrifyingdistensionofhisjawscrammeditintohismouth，andshuthislipsoverit。
ForaninstantMcTeaguewasstupefied，hiseyesbulging。
Thenanenormouslaughshookhim。Heroaredandshouted，swayinginhischair，slappinghisknee。WhatajosherwasthisMarcus！Sure，younevercouldtellwhathewoulddonext。Marcusslippedtheballout，wipeditonthetablecloth，andpassedittoMcTeague。
“Nowlet’sseeyoudoit。“
McTeaguefellsuddenlygrave。Thematterwasserious。Hepartedhisthickmustachesandopenedhisenormousjawslikeananaconda。Theballdisappearedinsidehismouth。Marcusapplaudedvociferously，shouting，“Goodwork！“McTeaguereachedforthemoneyandputitinhisvestpocket，noddinghisheadwithaknowingair。
Thensuddenlyhisfacegrewpurple，hisjawsmovedconvulsively，hepawedathischeekswithbothhands。Thebilliardballhadslippedintohismoutheasilyenough；now，however，hecouldnotgetitoutagain。
Itwasterrible。Thedentistrosetohisfeet，stumblingaboutamongthedogs，hisfaceworking，hiseyesstarting。
Tryashewould，hecouldnotstretchhisjawswideenoughtosliptheballout。Marcuslosthiswits，swearingatthetopofhisvoice。McTeaguesweatedwithterror；
inarticulatesoundscamefromhiscrammedmouth；hewavedhisarmswildly；allthefourdogscaughttheexcitementandbegantobark。Awaiterrushedin，thetwobilliardplayersreturned，alittlecrowdformed。Therewasaveritablescene。
AllatoncetheballslippedoutofMcTeague’sjawsaseasilyasithadgonein。Whatarelief！Hedroppedintoachair，wipinghisforehead，gaspingforbreath。
OnthestrengthoftheoccasionMarcusSchoulerinvitedtheentiregrouptodrinkwithhim。
Bythetimetheaffairwasoverandthegroupdisperseditwasafterfive。MarcusandMcTeaguedecidedtheywouldridehomeonthecars。Buttheysoonfoundthisimpossible。
Thedogswouldnotfollow。OnlyAlexander，Marcus’snewsetter，kepthisplaceattherearofthecar。Theotherthreelosttheirsensesimmediately，runningwildlyaboutthestreetswiththeirheadsintheair，orsuddenlystartingoffatafuriousgallopdirectlyawayfromthecar。
Marcuswhistledandshoutedandlatheredwithrageinvain。
Thetwofriendswereobligedtowalk。WhentheyfinallyreachedPolkStreet，Marcusshutupthethreedogsinthehospital。Alexanderhebroughtbacktotheflatwithhim。
Therewasaminutebackyardintherear，whereMarcushadmadeakennelforAlexanderoutofanoldwaterbarrel。
BeforehethoughtofhisownsupperMarcusputAlexandertobedandfedhimacoupleofdogbiscuits。McTeaguehadfollowedhimtotheyardtokeephimcompany。Alexandersettledtohissupperatonce，chewingvigorouslyatthebiscuit，hisheadononeside。
“Whatyougoingtodoaboutthis——aboutthat——about——aboutmycousinnow，Mac？“inquiredMarcus。
McTeagueshookhisheadhelplessly。Itwasdarkbynowandcold。Thelittlebackyardwasgrimyandfullofodors。
McTeaguewastiredwiththeirlongwalk。AllhisuneasinessabouthisaffairwithTrinahadreturned。No，surelyshewasnotforhim。Marcusorsomeothermanwouldwinherintheend。Whatcouldsheeverseetodesireinhim——inhim，aclumsygiant，withhandslikewoodenmallets？Shehadtoldhimoncethatshewouldnotmarryhim。Wasthatnotfinal？
“Idon’knowwhattodo，Mark，“hesaid。
“Well，youmustmakeuptohernow，“answeredMarcus。“Goandcallonher。“
McTeaguestarted。Hehadnotthoughtofcallingonher。
Theideafrightenedhimalittle。
“Ofcourse，“persistedMarcus，“that’sthepropercaper。
Whatdidyouexpect？Didyouthinkyouwasnevergoingtoseeheragain？“
“Idon’know，Idon’know，“respondedthedentist，lookingstupidlyatthedog。
“Youknowwheretheylive，“continuedMarcusSchouler。
“OveratBStreetstation，acrossthebay。I’lltakeyouovertherewheneveryouwanttogo。Itellyouwhat，we’llgooverthereWashington’sBirthday。That’sthisnextWednesday；sure，they’llbegladtoseeyou。“ItwasgoodofMarcus。AllatonceMcTeaguerosetoanappreciationofwhathisfriendwasdoingforhim。Hestammered：
“Say，Mark——you’re——you’reallright，anyhow。“
“Why，pshaw！“saidMarcus。“That’sallright，oldman。I’dliketoseeyoutwofixed，that’sall。We’llgooverWednesday，sure。“
Theyturnedbacktothehouse。Alexanderleftoffeatingandwatchedthemgoaway，firstwithoneeye，thenwiththeother。Buthewastooself-respectingtowhimper。However，bythetimethetwofriendshadreachedthesecondlandingonthebackstairsaterriblecommotionwasunderwayinthelittleyard。Theyrushedtoanopenwindowattheendofthehallandlookeddown。
Athinboardfenceseparatedtheflat’sbackyardfromthatusedbythebranchpost-office。Inthelatterplacelivedacolliedog。HeandAlexanderhadsmelteachotherout，blowingthroughthecracksofthefenceateachother。
Suddenlythequarrelhadexplodedoneithersideofthefence。Thedogsragedateachother，snarlingandbarking，franticwithhate。Theirteethgleamed。Theytoreatthefencewiththeirfrontpaws。Theyfilledthewholenightwiththeirclamor。
“Bydamn！“criedMarcus，“theydon’tloveeachother。Justlisten；wouldn’tthatmakeafightifthetwogottogether？
Havetotryitsomeday。“
CHAPTER5
Wednesdaymorning，Washington’sBirthday，McTeagueroseveryearlyandshavedhimself。Besidesthesixmournfulconcertinaairs，thedentistknewonesong。Wheneverheshaved，hesungthissong；neveratanyothertime。Hisvoicewasabellowingroar，enoughtomakethewindowsashesrattle。Justnowhewokeupallthelodgersinhishallwithit。Itwasalamentablewail：
“Noonetolove，nonetocaress，Leftallaloneinthisworld’swilderness。“
Ashepausedtostrophisrazor，Marcuscameintohisroom，half-dressed，astartlingphantominredflannels。
Marcusoftenranbackandforthbetweenhisroomandthedentist’s“Parlors“inallsortsofundress。OldMissBakerhadseenhimthusseveraltimesthroughherhalf-opendoor，asshesatinherroomlisteningandwaiting。Theolddressmakerwasshockedoutofallexpression。Shewasoutraged，offended，pursingherlips，puttingupherhead。
Shetalkedofcomplainingtothelandlady。“AndMr。Grannisrightnextdoor，too。Youcanunderstandhowtryingitisforbothofus。“Shewouldcomeoutinthehallafteroneoftheseapparitions，herlittlefalsecurlsshaking，talkingloudandshrilltoanyoneinreachofhervoice。
“Well，“Marcuswouldshout，“shutyourdoor，then，ifyoudon’twanttosee。Lookout，now，hereIcomeagain。Notevenaporousplasteronmethistime。“
OnthisWednesdaymorningMarcuscalledMcTeagueoutintothehall，totheheadofthestairsthatleddowntothestreetdoor。
“ComeandlistentoMaria，Mac，“saidhe。
Mariasatonthenexttotheloweststep，herchinproppedbyhertwofists。Thered-headedPolishJew，theragmanZerkow，stoodinthedoorway。Hewastalkingeagerly。