Thedayhehadspokentoherinhis“Parlors“shehadonlybeenterrified。Ifhehadconfinedhimselftomerelyspeaking，asdidMarcus，topleadingwithher，towooingheratadistance，forestallingherwishes，showingherlittleattentions，sendingherboxesofcandy，shecouldhaveeasilywithstoodhim。Buthehadonlytotakeherinhisarms，tocrushdownherstrugglewithhisenormousstrength，tosubdueher，conquerherbysheerbruteforce，andshegaveupinaninstant。
Butwhy——whyhadshedoneso？Whydidshefeelthedesire，thenecessityofbeingconqueredbyasuperiorstrength？
Whydiditpleaseher？Whyhaditsuddenlythrilledherfromheadtofootwithaquick，terrifyinggustofpassion，thelikeofwhichshehadneverknown？NeverathisbesthadMarcusmadeherfeellikethat，andyetshehadalwaysthoughtshecaredforCousinMarkmorethanforanyoneelse。
WhenMcTeaguehadallatoncecaughtherinhishugearms，somethinghadleapedtolifeinher——somethingthathadhithertolaindormant，somethingstrongandoverpowering。
Itfrightenedhernowasshethoughtofit，thissecondselfthathadwakenedwithinher，andthatshoutedandclamoredforrecognition。Andyet，wasittobefeared？Wasitsomethingtobeashamedof？Wasitnot，afterall，natural，clean，spontaneous？Trinaknewthatshewasapuregirl；
knewthatthissuddencommotionwithinhercarriedwithitnosuggestionofvice。
Dimly，asfiguresseeninawakingdream，theseideasfloatedthroughTrina’smind。Itwasquitebeyondhertorealizethemclearly；shecouldnotknowwhattheymeant。
UntilthatrainydaybytheshoreofthebayTrinahadlivedherlifewithaslittleself-consciousnessasatree。Shewasfrank，straightforward，ahealthy，naturalhumanbeing，withoutsexasyet。Shewasalmostlikeaboy。Atoncetherehadbeenamysteriousdisturbance。Thewomanwithinhersuddenlyawoke。
DidsheloveMcTeague？Difficultquestion。Didshechoosehimforbetterorforworse，deliberately，ofherownfreewill，orwasTrinaherselfallowedevenachoiceinthetakingofthatstepthatwastomakeormarherlife？TheWomanisawakened，and，startingfromhersleep，catchesblindlyatwhatfirsthernewlyopenedeyeslightupon。Itisaspell，awitchery，ruledbychancealone，inexplicable——afairyqueenenamoredofaclownwithass’sears。
McTeaguehadawakenedtheWoman，and，whethershewouldorno，shewashisnowirrevocably；struggleagainstitasshewould，shebelongedtohim，bodyandsoul，forlifeorfordeath。Shehadnotsoughtit，shehadnotdesiredit。Thespellwaslaiduponher。Wasitablessing？Wasitacurse？Itwasallone；shewashis，indissolubly，forevilorforgood。
Andhe？Theveryactofsubmissionthatboundthewomantohimforeverhadmadeherseemlessdesirableinhiseyes。
Theirundoinghadalreadybegun。Yetneitherofthemwastoblame。Fromthefirsttheyhadnotsoughteachother。
Chancehadbroughtthemfacetoface，andmysteriousinstinctsasungovernableasthewindsofheavenwereatworkknittingtheirlivestogether。Neitherofthemhadaskedthatthisthingshouldbe——thattheirdestinies，theirverysouls，shouldbethesportofchance。Iftheycouldhaveknown，theywouldhaveshunnedthefearfulrisk。Buttheywereallowednovoiceinthematter。Whyshoulditallbe？
IthadbeenonaWednesdaythatthesceneintheBStreetstationhadtakenplace。Throughouttherestoftheweek，ateveryhouroftheday，Trinaaskedherselfthesamequestion：“DoIlovehim？DoIreallylovehim？Isthiswhatloveislike？“AssherecalledMcTeague——recalledhishuge，square-cuthead，hissalientjaw，hisshockofyellowhair，hisheavy，lumberingbody，hisslowwits——shefoundlittletoadmireinhimbeyondhisphysicalstrength，andatsuchmomentssheshookherheaddecisively。“No，surelyshedidnotlovehim。“Sundayafternoon，however，McTeaguecalled。Trinahadpreparedalittlespeechforhim。ShewastotellhimthatshedidnotknowwhathadbeenthematterwithherthatWednesdayafternoon；thatshehadactedlikeabadgirl；thatshedidnotlovehimwellenoughtomarryhim；thatshehadtoldhimasmuchoncebefore。
McTeaguesawheraloneinthelittlefrontparlor。Theinstantsheappearedhecamestraighttowardsher。Shesawwhathewasbentupondoing。“Waitaminute，“shecried，puttingoutherhands。“Wait。Youdon’tunderstand。I
havegotsomethingtosaytoyou。“Shemightaswellhavetalkedtothewind。McTeagueputasideherhandswithasinglegesture，andgrippedhertohiminabearlikeembracethatallbutsmotheredher。Trinawasbutareedbeforethatgiantstrength。McTeagueturnedherfacetohisandkissedheragainuponthemouth。WherewasallTrina’sresolvethen？Wherewashercarefullypreparedlittlespeech？
Wherewasallherhesitationandtorturingdoubtsofthelastfewdays？SheclaspedMcTeague’shugeredneckwithbothherslenderarms；sheraisedheradorablelittlechinandkissedhiminreturn，exclaiming：“Oh，Idoloveyou！I
doloveyou！“Neverafterwardwerethetwosohappyasatthatmoment。
Alittlelaterinthatsameweek，whenMarcusandMcTeagueweretakinglunchatthecarconductors’coffee-joint，theformersuddenlyexclaimed：
“Say，Mac，nowthatyou’vegotTrina，yououghttodomoreforher。Bydamn！yououghtto，forafact。Whydon’tyoutakeheroutsomewhere——tothetheatre，orsomewhere？Youain’tontoyourjob。“
Naturally，McTeaguehadtoldMarcusofhissuccesswithTrina。Marcushadtakenonagrandair。
“You’vegother，haveyou？Well，I’mgladofit，oldman。I
am，forafact。Iknowyou’llbehappywithher。I
knowhowIwouldhavebeen。Iforgiveyou；yes，Iforgiveyou，freely。“
McTeaguehadnotthoughtoftakingTrinatothetheatre。
“YouthinkIoughtto，Mark？“heinquired，hesitating。
Marcusanswered，withhismouthfullofsuetpudding：
“Why，ofcourse。That’sthepropercaper。“
“Well——well，that’sso。Thetheatre——that’stheword。“
“TakehertothevarietyshowattheOrpheum。There’sagoodshowtherethisweek；you’llhavetotakeMrs。Sieppe，too，ofcourse，“headded。Marcuswasnotsureofhimselfasregardedcertainproprieties，nor，forthatmatter，wereanyofthepeopleofthelittleworldofPolkStreet。Theshopgirls，theplumbers’apprentices，thesmalltradespeople，andtheirlike，whosesocialpositionwasnotclearlydefined，couldneverbesurehowfartheycouldgoandyetpreservetheir“respectability。“Whentheywishedtobe“proper，“theyinvariablyoverdidthething。Itwasnotasiftheybelongedtothe“tough“element，whohadnoappearancestokeepup。PolkStreetrubbedelbowswiththe“avenue“oneblockabove。Therewerecertainlimitswhichitsdwellerscouldnotoverstep；butunfortunatelyforthem，theselimitswerepoorlydefined。Theycouldneverbesureofthemselves。Atanunguardedmomenttheymightbetakenfor“toughs，“sotheygenerallyerredintheotherdirection，andwereabsurdlyformal。Nopeoplehaveakeenereyefortheamenitiesthanthosewhosesocialpositionisnotassured。
“Oh，sure，you’llhavetotakehermother，“insistedMarcus。
“Itwouldn’tbetheproperracketifyoudidn’t。“
McTeagueundertooktheaffair。Itwasanordeal。Neverinhislifehadhebeensoperturbed，sohorriblyanxious。HecalleduponTrinathefollowingWednesdayandmadearrangements。Mrs。SieppeaskediflittleAugustmightbeincluded。Itwouldconsolehimforthelossofhissteamboat。
“Sure，sure，“saidMcTeague。“Augusttoo——everybody，“headded，vaguely。
“Wealwayshavetoleavesoearly，“complainedTrina，“inordertocatchthelastboat。Justwhenit’sbecominginteresting。“
AtthisMcTeague，actinguponasuggestionofMarcusSchouler’s，insistedtheyshouldstayattheflatovernight。Marcusandthedentistwouldgiveuptheirroomstothemandsleepatthedoghospital。TherewasabedthereinthesickwardthatoldGrannissometimesoccupiedwhenabadcaseneededwatching。AllatonceMcTeaguehadanidea，averitableinspiration。
“Andwe’ll——we’ll——we’llhave——what’sthematterwithhavingsomethingtoeatafterwardinmy“Parlors？“
“Vairygoot，“commentedMrs。Sieppe。“Bier，eh？Andsomedamales。“
“Oh，Ilovetamales！“exclaimedTrina，claspingherhands。
McTeaguereturnedtothecity，rehearsinghisinstructionsoverandover。Thetheatrepartybegantoassumetremendousproportions。Firstofall，hewastogettheseats，thethirdorfourthrowfromthefront，ontheleft-handside，soastobeoutofthehearingofthedrumsintheorchestra；hemustmakearrangementsabouttheroomswithMarcus，mustgetinthebeer，butnotthetamales；mustbuyforhimselfawhitelawntie——soMarcusdirected；mustlooktoitthatMariaMacapaputhisroominperfectorder；and，finally，mustmeettheSieppesattheferryslipathalf-
pastseventhefollowingMondaynight。
Thereallaboroftheaffairbeganwiththebuyingofthetickets。AtthetheatreMcTeaguegotintowrongentrances；
wassentfromonewickettoanother；wasbewildered，confused；misunderstooddirections；wasatonemomentsuddenlyconvincedthathehadnotenoughmoneywithhim，andstartedtoreturnhome。Finallyhefoundhimselfatthebox-officewicket。
“Isithereyoubuyyourseats？“
“Howmany？“
“Isithere——“
“Whatnightdoyouwant’em？Yes，sir，here’stheplace。“
McTeaguegravelydeliveredhimselfoftheformulahehadbeenrecitingforthelastdozenhours。
“IwantfourseatsforMondaynightinthefourthrowfromthefront，andontheright-handside。“
“Righthandasyoufacethehouseorasyoufacethestage？“McTeaguewasdumfounded。
“Iwanttobeontheright-handside，“heinsisted，stolidly；adding，“inordertobeawayfromthedrums。“