Theyexaggerated，theyinventeddetails，and，asifproudoftheirbeatings，asifgloryingintheirhusbands’
mishandling，liedtoeachother，magnifyingtheirownmaltreatment。Theyhadlongandexcitedargumentsastowhichwerethemosteffectivemeansofpunishment，therope’sendsandcartwhipssuchasZerkowused，orthefistsandbacksofhair-brushesaffectedbyMcTeague。Mariacontendedthatthelashofthewhiphurtthemost；Trina，thatthebuttdidthemostinjury。
MariashowedTrinatheholesinthewallsandtheloosenedboardsintheflooringwhereZerkowhadbeensearchingforthegoldplate。Oflatehehadbeendigginginthebackyardandhadransackedthehayinhishorse-shedfortheconcealedleatherchestheimaginedhewouldfind。Buthewasbecomingimpatient，evidently。
“Thewayhegoeson，“MariatoldTrina，“issomethundreadful。He’sgettunregularlysickwithit——gotafevereverynight——don’tsleep，andwhenhedoes，talkstohimself。Says’More’nahundredpieces，an’everyoneof’emgold。More’nahundredpieces，an’everyoneof’emgold。’Thenhe’llwhalemewithhiswhip，andshout，’Youknowwhereitis。Tellme，tellme，youswine，orI’lldoforyou。’An’thenhe’llgetdownonhiskneesandwhimper，andbegmetotellumwhereI’vehidit。He’sjustgoneplumcrazy。Sometimeshehasregularfits，hegetssomad，androllsonthefloorandscratcheshimself。“
OnemorninginNovember，aboutteno’clock，Trinapasteda“MadeinFrance“labelonthebottomofaNoah’sark，andleanedbackinherchairwithalongsighofrelief。ShehadjustfinishedalargeChristmasorderforUncleOelbermann，andtherewasnothingelseshecoulddothatmorning。Thebedhadnotyetbeenmade，norhadthebreakfastthingsbeenwashed。Trinahesitatedforamoment，thenputherchinintheairindifferently。
“Bah！“shesaid，“letthemgotillthisafternoon。Idon’tcareWHENtheroomisputtorights，andIknowMacdon’t。“ShedeterminedthatinsteadofmakingthebedorwashingthedishesshewouldgoandcallonMissBakeronthefloorbelow。Thelittledressmakermightaskhertostaytolunch，andthatwouldbesomethingsaved，asthedentisthadannouncedhisintentionthatmorningoftakingalongwalkouttothePresidiotobegoneallday。
ButTrinarappedonMissBaker’sdoorinvainthatmorning。
Shewasout。Perhapsshewasgonetotheflorist’stobuysomegeraniumseeds。However，OldGrannis’sdoorstoodalittleajar，andonhearingTrinaatMissBaker’sroom，theoldEnglishmancameoutintothehall。
“She’sgoneout，“hesaid，uncertainly，andinahalfwhisper，“wentoutabouthalfanhourago。I——Ithinkshewenttothedrugstoretogetsomewafersforthegoldfish。“
“Don’tyougotoyourdoghospitalanymore，MisterGrannis？“saidTrina，leaningagainstthebalustradeinthehall，willingtotalkamoment。
OldGrannisstoodinthedoorwayofhisroom，inhiscarpetslippersandfadedcorduroyjacketthatheworewhenathome。
“Why——why，“hesaid，hesitating，tappinghischinthoughtfully。“YouseeI’mthinkingofgivingupthelittlehospital。“
“Givingitup？“
“Yousee，thepeopleatthebookstorewhereIbuymypamphletshavefoundout——Itoldthemofmycontrivanceforbindingbooks，andoneofthemembersofthefirmcameuptolookatit。HeofferedmequiteasumifIwouldsellhimtherightofit——the——patentofit——quiteasum。Infact——
infact——yes，quiteasum，quite。“Herubbedhischintremulouslyandlookedabouthimonthefloor。
“Why，isn’tthatfine？“saidTrina，good-naturedly。“I’mveryglad，MisterGrannis。Isitagoodprice？“
“Quiteasum——quite。Infact，Ineverdreamedofhavingsomuchmoney。“
“Now，seehere，MisterGrannis，“saidTrina，decisively，“I
wanttogiveyouagoodpieceofadvice。HereareyouandMissBaker——“TheoldEnglishmanstartednervously——“YouandMissBaker，thathavebeeninlovewitheachotherfor——“
“Oh，Mrs。McTeague，thatsubject——ifyouwouldplease——MissBakerissuchanestimablelady。“
“Fiddlesticks！“saidTrina。“You’reinlovewitheachother，andthewholeflatknowsit；andyoutwohavebeenlivingheresidebysideyearinandyearout，andyou’veneversaidawordtoeachother。It’sallnonsense。Now，I
wantyoushouldgorightinandspeaktoherjustassoonasshecomeshome，andsayyou’vecomeintomoneyandyouwanthertomarryyou。“
“Impossible——impossible！“exclaimedtheoldEnglishman，alarmedandperturbed。“It’squiteoutofthequestion。I
wouldn’tpresume。“
“Well，doyouloveher，ornot？“
“Really，Mrs。McTeague，I——I——youmustexcuseme。It’samattersopersonal——so——I——Oh，yes，Iloveher。Oh，yes，indeed，“heexclaimed，suddenly。
“Well，then，shelovesyou。Shetoldmeso。“
“Oh！“
“Shedid。Shesaidthoseverywords。“
MissBakerhadsaidnothingofthekind——wouldhavediedsoonerthanhavemadesuchaconfession；butTrinahaddrawnherownconclusions，likeeveryotherlodgeroftheflat，andthoughtthetimewascomefordecidedaction。
“NowyoudojustasItellyou，andwhenshecomeshome，gorightinandseeher，andhaveitoverwith。Now，don’tsayanotherword。I’mgoing；butyoudojustasItellyou。“
Trinaturnedaboutandwentdown-stairs。Shehaddecided，sinceMissBakerwasnotathome，thatshewouldrunoverandseeMaria；possiblyshecouldhavelunchthere。Atanyrate，Mariawouldofferheracupoftea。
OldGrannisstoodforalongtimejustasTrinahadlefthim，hishandstrembling，thebloodcomingandgoinginhiswitheredcheeks。
“Shesaid，she——she——shetoldher——shesaidthat——that——“
hecouldgetnofarther。
Thenhefacedaboutandenteredhisroom，closingthedoorbehindhim。Foralongtimehesatinhisarmchair，drawnclosetothewallinfrontofthetableonwhichstoodhispilesofpamphletsandhislittlebindingapparatus。
“Iwonder，“saidTrina，asshecrossedtheyardbackofZerkow’shouse，“IwonderwhatrentZerkowandMariapayforthisplace。I’llbetit’scheaperthanwhereMacandIare。“
TrinafoundMariasittinginfrontofthekitchenstove，herchinuponherbreast。Trinawentuptoher。Shewasdead。
AndasTrinatouchedhershoulder，herheadrolledsidewaysandshowedafearfulgashinherthroatunderherear。Allthefrontofherdresswassoakedthroughandthrough。
Trinabackedsharplyawayfromthebody，drawingherhandsuptoherveryshoulders，hereyesstaringandwide，anexpressionofunutterablehorrortwistingherface。
“Oh-h-h！“sheexclaimedinalongbreath，hervoicehardlyrisingaboveawhisper。“Oh-h，isn’tthathorrible！“
Suddenlysheturnedandfledthroughthefrontpartofthehousetothestreetdoor，thatopeneduponthelittlealley。
Shelookedwildlyabouther。Directlyacrossthewayabutcher’sboywasgettingintohistwo-wheeledcartdrawnupinfrontoftheoppositehouse，whilenearbyapeddlerofwildgamewascomingdownthestreet，abraceofducksinhishand。
“Oh，say——say，“gaspedTrina，tryingtogethervoice，“say，comeoverherequick。“
Thebutcher’sboypaused，onefootonthewheel，andstared。
Trinabeckonedfrantically。
“Comeoverhere，comeoverherequick。“
Theyoungfellowswunghimselfintohisseat。
“What’sthematterwiththatwoman？“hesaid，halfaloud。
“There’samurderbeendone，“criedTrina，swayinginthedoorway。
Theyoungfellowdroveaway，hisheadoverhisshoulder，staringatTrinawitheyesthatwerefixedandabsolutelydevoidofexpression。
“What’sthematterwiththatwoman？“hesaidagaintohimselfasheturnedthecorner。
Trinawonderedwhyshedidn’tscream，howshecouldkeepfromit——how，atsuchamomentasthis，shecouldrememberthatitwasimpropertomakeadisturbanceandcreateasceneinthestreet。Thepeddlerofwildgamewaslookingathersuspiciously。Itwouldnotdototellhim。Hewouldgoawaylikethebutcher’sboy。
“Now，waitaminute，“Trinasaidtoherself，speakingaloud。
Sheputherhandstoherhead。“Now，waitaminute。Itwon’tdoformetolosemywitsnow。WhatmustIdo？“Shelookedabouther。TherewasthesamefamiliaraspectofPolkStreet。Shecouldseeitattheendofthealley。Thebigmarketoppositetheflat，thedeliverycartsrattlingupanddown，thegreatladiesfromtheavenueattheirmorningshopping，thecablecarstrundlingpast，loadedwithpassengers。Shesawalittleboyinaflatleathercapwhistlingandcallingforanunseendog，slappinghissmallkneefromtimetotime。TwomencameoutofFrenna’ssaloon，laughingheartily。Heisetheharness-makerstoodinthevestibuleofhisshop，abundleofwhittlingsinhisapronofgreasyticking。Andallthiswasgoingon，peoplewerelaughingandliving，buyingandselling，walkingaboutoutthereonthesunnysidewalks，whilebehindherinthere——inthere——inthere——
Heisestartedbackfromthesuddenapparitionofawhite-
lippedwomaninabluedressing-gownthatseemedtoriseupbeforehimfromhisverydoorstep。
“Well，Mrs。McTeague，youdidscareme，for——“
“Oh，comeoverherequick。“Trinaputherhandtoherneck；
swallowingsomethingthatseemedtobechokingher。
“Maria’skilled——Zerkow’swife——Ifoundher。“
“Getout！“exclaimedHeise，“you’rejoking。“
“Comeoverhere——overintothehouse——Ifoundher——she’sdead。“
Heisedashedacrossthestreetontherun，withTrinaathisheels，atrailofspilledwhittlingsmarkinghiscourse。
Thetworandownthealley。Thewild-gamepeddler，awomanwhohadbeenwashingdownthestepsinaneighboringhouse，andamaninabroad-brimmedhatstoodatZerkow’sdoorway，lookinginfromtimetotime，andtalkingtogether。Theyseemedpuzzled。
“Anythingwronginhere？“askedthewild-gamepeddlerasHeiseandTrinacameup。TwomoremenstoppedonthecornerofthealleyandPolkStreetandlookedatthegroup。A
womanwithatowelroundherheadraisedawindowoppositeZerkow’shouseandcalledtothewomanwhohadbeenwashingthesteps，“Whatisit，Mrs。Flint？“
Heisewasalreadyinsidethehouse。HeturnedtoTrina，pantingfromhisrun。
“Wheredidyousay——wherewasit——where？“
“Inthere，“saidTrina，“fartherin——thenextroom。“Theyburstintothekitchen。
“LORD！“ejaculatedHeise，stoppingayardorsofromthebody，andbendingdowntopeerintothegrayfacewithitsbrownlips。
“ByGod！he’skilledher。“
“Who？“
“Zerkow，byGod！he’skilledher。Cutherthroat。Healwayssaidhewould。“
“Zerkow？“
“He’skilledher。Herthroat’scut。GoodLord，howshedidbleed！ByGod！he’sdoneforheringoodshapethistime。“
“Oh，Itoldher——ITOLDher，“criedTrina。
“He’sdoneforherSUREthistime。“
“Shesaidshecouldalwaysmanage——Oh-h！It’shorrible。“
“He’sdoneforhersurethistrip。Cutherthroat。