Hedeparted；thecompanywasprofoundlyimpressed。
Abouttwentyminuteslater，whenMarcusSchoulerwasentertainingtheguestsbyeatingalmonds，shellsandall，Mr。Sieppestartedtohisfeet，watchinhand。
“Haf-bastelevun，“heshouted。“Attention！Derdimehafarrive，shtopeferyting。Wedepart。“
Thiswasasignalfortremendousconfusion。Mr。Sieppeimmediatelythrewoffhispreviousairofrelaxation，thecalf’sheadwasforgotten，hewasonceagaintheleaderofvastenterprises。
“Tome，tome，“hecried。“Mommer，dertervins，Owgooste。“
Hemarshalledhistribetogether，withtremendouscommandinggestures。Thesleepingtwinsweresuddenlyshakenintoadazedconsciousness；Owgooste，whomthealmond-eatingofMarcusSchoulerhadpetrifiedwithadmiration，wassmackedtoarealizationofhissurroundings。
OldGrannis，withacertaindelicacythatwasoneofhischaracteristics，feltinstinctivelythattheguests——themereoutsiders——shoulddepartbeforethefamilybeganitsleave-takingofTrina。Hewithdrewunobtrusively，afterahastygood-nighttothebrideandgroom。Therestfollowedalmostimmediately。
“Well，Mr。Sieppe，“exclaimedMarcus，“wewon’tseeeachotherforsometime。“MarcushadgivenuphisfirstintentionofjoiningintheSieppemigration。HespokeinalargewayofcertainaffairsthatwouldkeephiminSanFranciscotillthefall。Oflatehehadentertainedambitionsofaranchlife，hewouldbreedcattle，hehadalittlemoneyandwasonlylookingforsomeone“togoinwith。“Hedreamedofacowboy’slifeandsawhimselfinanentrancingvisioninvolvingsilverspursanduntamedbronchos。HetoldhimselfthatTrinahadcasthimoff，thathisbestfriendhad“playedhimforasucker，“thatthe“propercaper“wastowithdrawfromtheworldentirely。
“Ifyouhearofanybodydownthere，“hewenton，speakingtoMr。Sieppe，“thatwantstogoinforranching，whyjustletmeknow。“
“Soh，soh，“answeredMr。Sieppeabstractedly，peeringaboutforOwgooste’scap。
MarcusbadetheSieppesfarewell。HeandHeisewentouttogether。Oneheardthem，astheydescendedthestairs，discussingthepossibilityofFrenna’splacebeingstillopen。
ThenMissBakerdepartedafterkissingTrinaonbothcheeks。
Selinawentwithher。Therewasonlythefamilyleft。
Trinawatchedthemgo，onebyone，withanincreasingfeelingofuneasinessandvagueapprehension。Soontheywouldallbegone。
“Well，Trina，“exclaimedMr。Sieppe，“goot-py；perhapsyougomevisitussomedime。“
Mrs。Sieppebegancryingagain。
“Ach，Trina，venshallIeferseeyouagain？“
TearscametoTrina’seyesinspiteofherself。Sheputherarmsaroundhermother。
“Oh，sometime，sometime，“shecried。ThetwinsandOwgoosteclungtoTrina’sskirts，frettingandwhimpering。
McTeaguewasmiserable。Hestoodapartfromthegroup，inacorner。Noneofthemseemedtothinkofhim；hewasnotofthem。
“Writetomeveryoften，mamma，andtellmeabouteverything——aboutAugustandthetwins。“
“Itisdime，“criedMr。Sieppe，nervously。“Goot-py，Trina。
Mommer，Owgooste，saygoot-py，denwemustgo。Goot-py，Trina。“Hekissedher。Owgoosteandthetwinswereliftedup。“Gome，gome，“insistedMr。Sieppe，movingtowardthedoor。
“Goot-py，Trina，“exclaimedMrs。Sieppe，cryingharderthanever。“Doktor——whereisderdoktor——Doktor，pegoottoher，eh？pevairygoot，eh，won’tyou？Zumday，Dokter，youvillhafadaughter，denyouknowberhapshowIfeel，yes。“
Theywerestandingatthedoorbythistime。Mr。Sieppe，halfwaydownthestairs，keptcalling“Gome，gome，wemissderdrain。“
Mrs。SieppereleasedTrinaandstarteddownthehall，thetwinsandOwgoostefollowing。Trinastoodinthedoorway，lookingafterthemthroughhertears。Theyweregoing，going。Whenwouldsheeverseethemagain？Shewastobeleftalonewiththismantowhomshehadjustbeenmarried。
Asuddenvagueterrorseizedher；sheleftMcTeagueandrandownthehallandcaughthermotheraroundtheneck。
“Idon’tWANTyoutogo，“shewhisperedinhermother’sear，sobbing。“Oh，mamma，I——I’m’fraid。“
“Ach，Trina，youpreakmyheart。Don’tgry，poorleetlegirl。“SherockedTrinainherarmsasthoughshewereachildagain。“Poorleetlescairtgirl，don’gry——soh——soh——
soh，dere’snuttuntope’fraidoaf。Dere，gotoyourhoasban’。Listen，popper’sgallingagain；goden；goot-by。“
SheloosenedTrina’sarmsandstarteddownthestairs。Trinaleanedoverthebanisters，straininghereyesafterhermother。
“Whatisut，Trina？“
“Oh，good-by，good-by。“
“Gome，gome，wemissderdrain。“
“Mamma，oh，mamma！“
“Whatisut，Trina？“
“Good-by。“
“Goot-py，leetledaughter。“
“Good-by，good-by，good-by。“
Thestreetdoorclosed。Thesilencewasprofound。
ForanothermomentTrinastoodleaningoverthebanisters，lookingdownintotheemptystairway。Itwasdark。Therewasnobody。They——herfather，hermother，thechildren——hadlefther，leftheralone。Shefacedabouttowardtherooms——facedherhusband，facedhernewhome，thenewlifethatwastobeginnow。
Thehallwasemptyanddeserted。Thegreatflataroundherseemednewandhugeandstrange；shefelthorriblyalone。
EvenMariaandthehiredwaiterweregone。Ononeofthefloorsabovesheheardababycrying。Shestoodthereaninstantinthedarkhall，inherweddingfinery，lookingabouther，listening。Fromtheopendoorofthesitting-
roomstreamedagoldbaroflight。
Shewentdownthehall，bytheopendoorofthesitting-
room，goingontowardthehalldoorofthebedroom。
Asshesoftlypassedthesitting-roomsheglancedhastilyin。Thelampsandthegaswereburningbrightly，thechairswerepushedbackfromthetablejustastheguestshadleftthem，andthetableitself，abandoned，deserted，presentedtoviewthevagueconfusionofitsdishes，itsknivesandforks，itsemptyplattersandcrumplednapkins。
Thedentistsatthereleaningonhiselbows，hisbacktowardher；againstthewhiteblurofthetablehelookedcolossal。
Abovehisgiantshouldersrosehisthick，redneckandmaneofyellowhair。Thelightshonepinkthroughthegristleofhisenormousears。
Trinaenteredthebedroom，closingthedoorafterher。Atthesound，sheheardMcTeaguestartandrise。
“Isthatyou，Trina？“
Shedidnotanswer；butpausedinthemiddleoftheroom，holdingherbreath，trembling。
Thedentistcrossedtheoutsideroom，partedthechenilleportieres，andcamein。Hecametowardherquickly，makingasiftotakeherinhisarms。Hiseyeswerealight。
“No，no，“criedTrina，shrinkingfromhim。Suddenlyseizedwiththefearofhim——theintuitivefemininefearofthemale——herwholebeingquailedbeforehim。Shewasterrifiedathishuge，square-cuthead；hispowerful，salientjaw；hishuge，redhands；hisenormous，resistlessstrength。
“No，no——I’mafraid，“shecried，drawingbackfromhimtotheothersideoftheroom。
“Afraid？“answeredthedentistinperplexity。“Whatareyouafraidof，Trina？I’mnotgoingtohurtyou。Whatareyouafraidof？“
What，indeed，wasTrinaafraidof？Shecouldnottell。ButwhatdidsheknowofMcTeague，afterall？Whowasthismanthathadcomeintoherlife，whohadtakenherfromherhomeandfromherparents，andwithwhomshewasnowleftalonehereinthisstrange，vastflat？
“Oh，I’mafraid。I’mafraid，“shecried。
McTeaguecamenearer，satdownbesideherandputonearmaroundher。
“Whatareyouafraidof，Trina？“hesaid，reassuringly。“I
don’twanttofrightenyou。“
Shelookedathimwildly，heradorablelittlechinquivering，thetearsbrimminginhernarrowblueeyes。