“Butyou’vesignedaPAPER，“criedTrina，exasperated。
“You’vegottopaythatfirstmonth’srent，anyhow——toforfeitit。Oh，youaresostupid！There’sthirty-
fivedollarsjustthrownaway。ISHAN’Tgointothathouse；wewon’tmoveaFOOToutofhere。I’vechangedmymindaboutit，andthere’swaterinthebasementbesides。“
“Well，Iguesswecanstandthirty-fivedollars，“mumbledthedentist，“ifwe’vegotto。“
“Thirty-fivedollarsjustthrownoutofthewindow，“criedTrina，herteethclicking，everyinstinctofherparsimonyaroused。“Oh，youthethick-wittedestmanthatIeverknew。
Doyouthinkwe’remillionaires？Oh，tothinkoflosingthirty-fivedollarslikethat。“Tearswereinhereyes，tearsofgriefaswellasofanger。NeverhadMcTeagueseenhislittlewomansoaroused。Suddenlysherosetoherfeetandslammedthechopping-bowldownuponthetable。“Well，Iwon’tpayanickelofit，“sheexclaimed。
“Huh？What，what？“stammeredthedentist，takenallabackbyheroutburst。
“Isaythatyouwillfindthatmoney，thatthirty-fivedollars，yourself。“
“Why——why——“
“It’syourstupiditygotusintothisfix，andyou’llbetheonethat’llsufferbyit。“
“Ican’tdoit，IWON’Tdoit。We’ll——we’llshareandsharealike。Why，yousaid——youtoldmeyou’dtakethehouseifthewaterwasfree。“
“INEVERdid。INEVERdid。Howcanyoustandthereandsaysuchathing？“
“Youdidtellmethat，“vociferatedMcTeague，beginningtogetangryinhisturn。
“Mac，Ididn’t，andyouknowit。Andwhat’smore，Iwon’tpayanickel。Mr。Heisepayshisbillnextweek，it’sforty-threedollars，andyoucanjustpaythethirty-fiveoutofthat。“
“Why，yougotawholehundreddollarssavedupinyourmatch-safe，“shoutedthedentist，throwingoutanarmwithanawkwardgesture。“YoupayhalfandI’llpayhalf，that’sonlyfair。“
“No，no，NO，“exclaimedTrina。“It’snotahundreddollars。Youwon’ttouchit；youwon’ttouchmymoney，I
tellyou。“
“Ah，howdoesithappentobeyours，I’dliketoknow？“
“It’smine！It’smine！It’smine！“criedTrina，herfacescarlet，herteethclickinglikethesnapofaclosingpurse。
“Itain’tanymoreyoursthanitismine。“
“Everypennyofitismine。“
“Ah，whatafinefixyou’dgetmeinto，“growledthedentist。“I’vesignedthepaperwiththeowner；that’sbusiness，youknow，that’sbusiness，youknow；andnowyougobackonme。Supposewe’dtakenthehouse，we’d’a’sharedtherent，wouldn’twe，justaswedohere？“
Trinashruggedhershoulderswithagreataffectationofindifferenceandbeganchoppingtheonionsagain。
“Yousettleitwiththeowner，“shesaid。“It’syouraffair；you’vegotthemoney。“Shepretendedtoassumeacertaincalmnessasthoughthematterwassomethingthatnolongeraffectedher。HermannerexasperatedMcTeagueallthemore。
“No，Iwon’t；no，Iwon’t；Iwon’teither，“heshouted。
“I’llpaymyhalfandhecancometoyoufortheotherhalf。“Trinaputahandoverhereartoshutouthisclamor。
“Ah，don’ttryandbesmart，“criedMcTeague。“Come，now，yesorno，willyoupayyourhalf？“
“YouheardwhatIsaid。“
“Willyoupayit？“
“No。“
“Miser！“shoutedMcTeague。“Miser！you’reworsethanoldZerkow。Allright，allright，keepyourmoney。I’llpaythewholethirty-five。I’dratherloseitthanbesuchamiserasyou。“
“Haven’tyougotanythingtodo，“returnedTrina，“insteadofstayinghereandabusingme？“
“Well，then，forthelasttime，willyouhelpmeout？“
Trinacuttheheadsofafreshbunchofonionsandgavenoanswer。
“Huh？willyou？“
“I’dliketohavemykitchentomyself，please，“shesaidinamincingway，irritatingtoalastdegree。Thedentiststampedoutoftheroom，bangingthedoorbehindhim。
Fornearlyaweekthebreachbetweenthemremainedunhealed。
Trinaonlyspoketothedentistinmonosyllables，whilehe，exasperatedathercalmnessandfrigidreserve，sulkedinhis“DentalParlors，“mutteringterriblethingsbeneathhismustache，orfindingsolaceinhisconcertina，playinghissixlugubriousairsoverandoveragain，orswearingfrightfuloathsathiscanary。WhenHeisepaidhisbill，McTeague，inafury，senttheamounttotheownerofthelittlehouse。
Therewasnoformalreconciliationbetweenthedentistandhislittlewoman。Theirrelationsreadjustedthemselvesinevitably。Bytheendoftheweektheywereasamicableasever，butitwaslongbeforetheyspokeofthelittlehouseagain。NordidtheyeverrevisititofaSundayafternoon。
AmonthorsolatertheRyerstoldthemthattheownerhimselfhadmovedin。TheMcTeaguesneveroccupiedthatlittlehouse。
ButTrinasufferedareactionafterthequarrel。Shebegantobesorryshehadrefusedtohelpherhusband，sorryshehadbroughtmatterstosuchanissue。OneafternoonasshewasatworkontheNoah’sarkanimals，shesurprisedherselfcryingovertheaffair。Shelovedher“oldbear“toomuchtodohimaninjustice，andperhaps，afterall，shehadbeeninthewrong。Thenitoccurredtoherhowprettyitwouldbetocomeupbehindhimunexpectedly，andslipthemoney，thirty-fivedollars，intohishand，andpullhishugeheaddowntoherandkisshisbaldspotassheusedtodointhedaysbeforetheyweremarried。
Thenshehesitated，pausinginherwork，herknifedroppingintoherlap，ahalf-whittledfigurebetweenherfingers。
Ifnotthirty-fivedollars，thenatleastfifteenorsixteen，hershareofit。Butafeelingofreluctance，asuddenrevoltagainstthisintendedgenerosity，aroseinher。
“No，no，“shesaidtoherself。“I’llgivehimtendollars。
I’lltellhimit’sallIcanafford。ItISallIcanafford。“
Shehastenedtofinishthefigureoftheanimalshewasthenatworkupon，puttingintheearsandtailwithadropofglue，andtossingitintothebasketatherside。Thensheroseandwentintothebedroomandopenedhertrunk，takingthekeyfromunderacornerofthecarpetwhereshekeptithid。
Attheverybottomofhertrunk，underherbridaldress，shekepthersavings。Itwasallinchange——halfdollarsanddollarsforthemostpart，withhereandthereagoldpiece。
Longsincethelittlebrassmatch-boxhadoverflowed。Trinakeptthesurplusinachamois-skinsackshehadmadefromanoldchestprotector。Justnow，yieldingtoanimpulsewhichoftenseizedher，shedrewoutthematch-boxandthechamoissack，andemptyingthecontentsonthebed，countedthemcarefully。Itcametoonehundredandsixty-fivedollars，alltold。Shecounteditandrecounteditandmadelittlepilesofit，andrubbedthegoldpiecesbetweenthefoldsofherapronuntiltheyshone。
“Ah，yes，tendollarsisallIcanaffordtogiveMac，“saidTrina，“andeventhen，thinkofit，tendollars——itwillbefourorfivemonthsbeforeIcansavethatagain。But，dearoldMac，Iknowitwouldmakehimfeelglad，andperhaps，“
sheadded，suddenlytakenwithanidea，“perhapsMacwillrefusetotakeit。“
Shetookaten-dollarpiecefromtheheapandputtherestaway。Thenshepaused：
“No，notthegoldpiece，“shesaidtoherself。“It’stoopretty。Hecanhavethesilver。“Shemadethechangeandcountedouttensilverdollarsintoherpalm。Butwhatadifferenceitmadeintheappearanceandweightofthelittlechamoisbag！Thebagwasshrunkenandwithered，longwrinklesappearedrunningdownwardfromthedraw-string。Itwasalamentablesight。Trinalookedlonginglyatthetenbroadpiecesinherhand。Thensuddenlyallherintuitivedesireofsaving，herinstinctofhoarding，herloveofmoneyforthemoney’ssake，rosestrongwithinher。
“No，no，no，“shesaid。“Ican’tdoit。Itmaybemean，butIcan’thelpit。It’sstrongerthanI。“Shereturnedthemoneytothebagandlockeditandthebrassmatch-boxinhertrunk，turningthekeywithalongbreathofsatisfaction。
Shewasalittletroubled，however，asshewentbackintothesitting-roomandtookupherwork。
“Ididn’tusetobesostingy，“shetoldherself。“SinceI
woninthelotteryI’vebecomearegularlittlemiser。It’sgrowingonme，butnevermind，it’sagoodfault，and，anyhow，Ican’thelpit。“
CHAPTER11
OnthatparticularmorningtheMcTeagueshadrisenahalfhourearlierthanusualandtakenahurriedbreakfastinthekitchenonthedealtablewithitsoilclothcover。Trinawashouse-cleaningthatweekandhadapresentimentofahardday’sworkaheadofher，whileMcTeaguerememberedaseveno’clockappointmentwithalittleGermanshoemaker。
Atabouteighto’clock，whenthedentisthadbeeninhisofficeforoveranhour，Trinadescendeduponthebedroom，atowelaboutherheadandtheroller-sweeperinherhand。
Shecoveredthebureauandsewingmachinewithsheets，andunhookedthechenilleportieresbetweenthebedroomandthesitting-room。AsshewastyingtheNottinghamlacecurtainsatthewindowintogreatknots，shesawoldMissBakerontheoppositesidewalkinthestreetbelow，andraisingthesashcalleddowntoher。
“Oh，it’syou，Mrs。McTeague，“criedtheretireddressmaker，facingabout，herheadintheair。Thenalongconversationwasbegun，Trina，herarmsfoldedunderherbreast，herelbowsrestingonthewindowledge，willingtobeidleforamoment；oldMissBaker，hermarket-basketonherarm，herhandswrappedintheendsofherworstedshawlagainstthecoldoftheearlymorning。Theyexchangedphrases，callingtoeachotherfromwindowtocurb，theirbreathcomingfromtheirlipsinfaintpuffsofvapor，theirvoicesshrill，andraisedtodominatetheclamorofthewakingstreet。Thenewsboyshadmadetheirappearanceonthestreet，togetherwiththedaylaborers。Thecablecarshadbeguntofillup；allalongthestreetcouldbeseentheshopkeeperstakingdowntheirshutters；somewerestillbreakfasting。Nowandthenawaiterfromoneofthecheaprestaurantscrossedfromonesidewalktoanother，balancingononepalmatraycoveredwithanapkin。
“Aren’tyououtprettyearlythismorning，MissBaker？“
calledTrina。
“No，no，“answeredtheother。“I’malwaysupathalf-pastsix，butIdon’talwaysgetoutsosoon。Iwantedtogetaniceheadofcabbageandsomelentilsforasoup，andifyoudon’tgotomarketearly，therestaurantsgetallthebest。“
“Andyou’vebeentomarketalready，MissBaker？“
“Oh，my，yes；andIgotafish——asole——see。“Shedrewthesoleinquestionfromherbasket。
“Oh，thelovelysole！“exclaimedTrina。
“IgotthisoneatSpadella’s；healwayshasgoodfishonFriday。Howisthedoctor，Mrs。McTeague？“
“Ah，Macisalwayswell，thankyou，MissBaker。“
“Youknow，Mrs。Ryertoldme，“criedthelittledressmaker，movingforwardastepoutofthewayofa“glass-put-in“
man，“thatDoctorMcTeaguepulledatoothofthatCatholicpriest，Father——oh，Iforgethisname——anyhow，hepulledhistoothwithhisfingers。Wasthattrue，Mrs。McTeague？“
“Oh，ofcourse。Macdoesthatalmostallthetimenow，’speciallywithfrontteeth。He’sgotaregularreputationforit。Hesaysit’sbroughthimmorepatientsthaneventhesignIgavehim，“sheadded，pointingtothebiggoldenmolarprojectingfromtheofficewindow。