Hedrankhisoffslowly。
“I’d——I’daskyoutohaveadrinkwithme，Heise，“saidthedentist，whohadanindistinctideaoftheamenitiesofthebarroom，“only，“headdedshamefacedly，“only——yousee，Idon’tbelieveIgotanychange。“HisangeragainstTrina，heatedbythewhiskeyhehaddrank，flamedupafresh。WhatahumiliatingpositionforTrinatoplacehimin，nottoleavehimthepriceofadrinkwithafriend，shewhohadfivethousanddollars！
“Sha！That’sallright，Doc，“returnedHeise，nibblingonagrainofcoffee。“Wantanother？Hey？Thismytreat。Twomoreofthesame，Joe。“
McTeaguehesitated。Itwaslamentablytruethatwhiskeydidnotagreewithhim；heknewitwellenough。However，bythistimehefeltverycomfortablywarmatthepitofhisstomach。Thebloodwasbeginningtocirculateinhischilledfinger-tipsandinhissoggy，wetfeet。Hehadhadaharddayofit；infact，thelastweek，thelastmonth，thelastthreeorfourmonths，hadbeenhard。Hedeservedalittleconsolation。NorcouldTrinaobjecttothis。Itwasn’tcostingacent。HedrankagainwithHeise。
“Getupheretothestoveandwarmyourself，“urgedHeise，drawingupacoupleofchairsandcockinghisfeetupontheguard。ThetwofelltotalkingwhileMcTeague’sdraggledcoatandtrouserssmoked。
“WhatadirtyturnthatwasthatMarcusSchoulerdidyou！“
saidHeise，wagginghishead。“Yououghttohavefoughtthat，Doc，sure。You’dbeenpractisingtoolong。“TheydiscussedthisquestionsometenorfifteenminutesandthenHeiserose。
“Well，thisain’tearninganymoney。Igottogetbacktotheshop。“McTeaguegotupaswell，andthepairstartedforthedoor。JustastheyweregoingoutRyermetthem。
“Hello，hello，“hecried。“Lord，whatawetday！Youtwoaregoingthewrongway。You’regoingtohaveadrinkwithme。Threewhiskeypunches，Joe。“
“No，no，“answeredMcTeague，shakinghishead。“I’mgoingbackhome。I’vehadtwoglassesofwhiskeyalready。“
“Sha！“criedHeise，catchinghisarm。“Astrappingbigchaplikeyouain’tafraidofalittlewhiskey。“
“Well，I——I——Igottogorightafterwards，“protestedMcTeague。
Abouthalfanhourafterthedentisthadlefttogodowntown，MariaMacapahadcomeintoseeTrina。OccasionallyMariadroppedinonTrinainthisfashionandspentanhourorsochattingwithherwhilesheworked。AtfirstTrinahadbeeninclinedtoresenttheseintrusionsoftheMexicanwoman，butoflateshehadbeguntotoleratethem。Herdaywaslongandcheerlessatthebest，andtherewasnoonetotalkto。TrinaevenfanciedthatoldMissBakerhadcometobelesscordialsincetheirmisfortune。Mariaretailedtoherallthegossipoftheflatandtheneighborhood，and，whichwasmuchmoreinteresting，toldherofhertroubleswithZerkow。
TrinasaidtoherselfthatMariawascommonandvulgar，butonehadtohavesomediversion，andTrinacouldtalkandlistenwithoutinterruptingherwork。OnthisparticularoccasionMariawasmuchexcitedoverZerkow’sdemeanoroflate。
“He’sgettunworsean’worse，“sheinformedTrinaasshesatontheedgeofthebed，herchininherhand。“HesaysheknowsIgotthedishesandamhidunthemfromhim。TheotherdayIthoughthe’dgoneoffwithhiswagon，andIwasdoin’abitofir’ning，an’byan’byallofasuddenIsawhimpeepingatmethroughthecrackofthedoor。IneverletonthatIsawhim，and，honest，hestayedthereovertwohours，watchuneverythingIdid。Icouldjustfeelhiseyesonthebackofmyneckallthetime。LastSundayhetookdownpartofthewall，’causehesaidhe’dseenmemakingfiguresonit。Well，Iwas，butitwasjustthewashlist。
Allthetimehesayshe’llkillmeifIdon’ttell。“
“Why，whatdoyoustaywithhimfor？“exclaimedTrina。“I’dbedeathly’fraidofamanlikethat；andhedidtakeaknifetoyouonce。“
“Hoh！HEwon’tkillme，neverfear。Ifhe’dkillmehe’dneverknowwherethedisheswere；that’swhatHE
thinks。“
“ButIcan’tunderstand，Maria；youtoldhimaboutthosegolddishesyourself。“
“Never，never！Ineversawsuchalotofcrazyfolksasyouare。“
“Butyousayhehitsyousometimes。“
“Ah！“saidMaria，tossingherheadscornfully，“Iain’tafraidofhim。Hetakeshishorsewhiptomenowandthen，butIcanalwaysmanage。Isay，’Ifyoutouchmewiththat，thenI’llNEVERtellyou。’Justpretending，youknow，andhedropsitasthoughitwasredhot。Say，Mrs。
McTeague，haveyougotanytea？Let’smakeacupofteaoverthestove。“
“No，no，“criedTrina，withniggardlyapprehension；“no，I
haven’tgotabitoftea。“Trina’sstinginesshadincreasedtosuchanextentthatithadgonebeyondthemerehoardingofmoney。ShegrudgedeventhefoodthatsheandMcTeagueate，andevenbroughtawayhalfloavesofbread，lumpsofsugar，andfruitfromthecarconductors’coffee-joint。Shehidthesepilferingsawayontheshelfbythewindow，andoftenmanagedtomakeaverycreditablelunchfromthem，enjoyingthemealwiththegreaterrelishbecauseitcosthernothing。
“No，Maria，Ihaven’tgotabitoftea，“shesaid，shakingherheaddecisively。“Hark，ain’tthatMac？“sheadded，herchinintheair。“That’shisstep，sure。“
“Well，I’mgoingtoskip，“saidMaria。Shelefthurriedly，passingthedentistinthehalljustoutsidethedoor。
“Well？“saidTrinainterrogativelyasherhusbandentered。
McTeaguedidnotanswer。Hehunghishatonthehookbehindthedooranddroppedheavilyintoachair。
“Well，“askedTrina，anxiously，“howdidyoumakeout，Mac？“
Stillthedentistpretendednottohear，scowlingfiercelyathismuddyboots。
“Tellme，Mac，Iwanttoknow。Didyougetaplace？Didyougetcaughtintherain？“
“DidI？DidI？“criedthedentist，sharply，analacrityinhismannerandvoicethatTrinahadneverobservedbefore。
“Lookatme。Lookatme，“hewenton，speakingwithanunwontedrapidity，hiswitssharp，hisideassucceedingeachotherquickly。“Lookatme，drenchedthrough，shiveringcold。I’vewalkedthecityover。Caughtintherain！Yes，IguessIdidgetcaughtintherain，anditain’tyourfaultIdidn’tcatchmydeath-a-cold；wouldn’tevenletmehaveanickelforcarfare。“
“But，Mac，“protestedTrina，“Ididn’tknowitwasgoingtorain。“
Thedentistputbackhisheadandlaughedscornfully。Hisfacewasveryred，andhissmalleyestwinkled。“Hoh！no，youdidn’tknowitwasgoingtorain。Didn’tITELLyouitwas？“heexclaimed，suddenlyangryagain。“Oh，you’reaDAISY，youare。ThinkI’mgoingtoputupwithyourfoolishnessALLthetime？Who’stheboss，youorI？“
“Why，Mac，Ineversawyouthiswaybefore。Youtalklikeadifferentman。“
“Well，IAMadifferentman，“retortedthedentist，savagely。“Youcan’tmakesmallofmeALWAYS。“
“Well，nevermindthat。YouknowI’mnottryingtomakesmallofyou。Butnevermindthat。Didyougetaplace？“
“Givememymoney，“exclaimedMcTeague，jumpingupbriskly。
Therewasanactivity，apositivenimblenessaboutthehugeblondgiantthathadneverbeenhisbefore；alsohisstupidity，thesluggishnessofhisbrain，seemedtobeunusuallystimulated。
“Givememymoney，themoneyIgaveyouasIwasgoingaway。“
“Ican’t，“exclaimedTrina。“Ipaidthegrocer’sbillwithitwhileyouweregone。“
“Don’tbelieveyou。“
“Truly，truly，Mac。DoyouthinkI’dlietoyou？DoyouthinkI’dlowermyselftodothat？“
“Well，thenexttimeIearnanymoneyI’llkeepitmyself。“
“Buttellme，Mac，DIDyougetaplace？“
McTeagueturnedhisbackonher。
“Tellme，Mac，please，didyou？“
Thedentistjumpedupandthrusthisfaceclosetohers，hisheavyjawprotruding，hislittleeyestwinklingmeanly。
“No，“heshouted。“No，no，NO。Doyouhear？NO。“
Trinacoweredbeforehim。Thensuddenlyshebegantosobaloud，weepingpartlyathisstrangebrutality，partlyatthedisappointmentofhisfailuretofindemployment。
McTeaguecastacontemptuousglanceabouthim，aglancethatembracedthedingy，cheerlessroom，therainstreamingdownthepanesoftheonewindow，andthefigureofhisweepingwife。
“Oh，ain’tthisallFINE？“heexclaimed。“Ain’titlovely？“
“It’snotmyfault，“sobbedTrina。
“Itistoo，“vociferatedMcTeague。“Itistoo。WecouldlivelikeChristiansanddecentpeopleifyouwantedto。
Yougotmore’nfivethousanddollars，andyou’resodamnedstingythatyou’dratherliveinarathole——andmakemelivetheretoo——beforeyou’dpartwithanickelofit。I
tellyouI’msickandtiredofthewholebusiness。“
AnallusiontoherlotterymoneyneverfailedtorouseTrina。
“AndI’lltellyouthismuchtoo，“shecried，winkingbackthetears。“Nowthatyou’reoutofajob，wecan’taffordeventoliveinyourrathole，asyoucallit。We’vegottofindacheaperplacethanTHISeven。“
“What！“exclaimedthedentist，purplewithrage。“What，getintoaworseholeinthewallthanthis？Well，we’llSEEifwewill。We’lljustseeaboutthat。You’regoingtodojustasItellyouafterthis，TrinaMcTeague，“andoncemorehethrusthisfaceclosetohers。
“Iknowwhat’sthematter，“criedTrina，withahalfsob；“Iknow，Icansmellitonyourbreath。You’vebeendrinkingwhiskey。“
“Yes，I’vebeendrinkingwhiskey，“retortedherhusband。
“I’vebeendrinkingwhiskey。Haveyougotanythingtosayaboutit？Ah，yes，you’reRIGHT，I’vebeendrinkingwhiskey。WhathaveYOUgottosayaboutmydrinkingwhiskey？Let’shearit。“
“Oh！Oh！Oh！“sobbedTrina，coveringherfacewithherhands。McTeaguecaughtherwristsinonepalmandpulledthemdown。Trina’spalefacewasstreamingwithtears；herlong，narrowblueeyeswereswimming；heradorablelittlechinupraisedandquivering。
“Let’shearwhatyougottosay，“exclaimedMcTeague。
“Nothing，nothing，“saidTrina，betweenhersobs。
“Thenstopthatnoise。Stopit，doyouhearme？Stopit。“
Hethrewuphisopenhandthreateningly。“STOP！“heexclaimed。
Trinalookedathimfearfully，halfblindedwithweeping。
Herhusband’sthickmaneofyellowhairwasdisorderedandrumpleduponhisgreatsquare-cuthead；hisbigredearswereredderthanever；hisfacewaspurple；thethickeyebrowswereknottedoverthesmall，twinklingeyes；theheavyyellowmustache，thatsmeltofalcohol，droopedoverthemassive，protrudingchin，salient，likethatofthecarnivora；theveinswereswollenandthrobbingonhisthickredneck；whileoverherheadTrinasawhisupraisedpalm，callused，enormous。
“Stop！“heexclaimed。AndTrina，watchingfearfully，sawthepalmsuddenlycontractintoafist，afistthatwashardasawoodenmallet，thefistoftheold-timecar-boy。Andthenherancientterrorofhim，theintuitivefearofthemale，leapedtolifeagain。Shewasafraidofhim。Everynerveofherquailedandshrankfromhim。Shechokedbackhersobs，catchingherbreath。
“There，“growledthedentist，releasingher，“that’smorelike。Now，“hewenton，fixingherwithhislittleeyes，“nowlistentome。I’mbeatout。I’vewalkedthecityover——tenmiles，Iguess——an’I’mgoingtobed，an’Idon’twanttobebothered。Youunderstand？Iwanttobeletalone。“Trinawassilent。
“DoyouHEAR？“hesnarled。
“Yes，Mac。“