Hergriefwasterrible。Shedughernailsintoherscalp，andclutchingtheheavycoilsofherthickblackhairtoreitagainandagain。Shestruckherforeheadwithherclenchedfists。Herlittlebodyshookfromheadtofootwiththeviolenceofhersobbing。Shegroundhersmallteethtogetherandbeatherheaduponthefloorwithallherstrength。
Herhairwasuncoiledandhangingatangled，dishevelledmassfarbelowherwaist；herdresswastorn；aspotofbloodwasuponherforehead；hereyeswereswollen；hercheeksflamedvermilionfromthefeverthatragedinherveins。OldMissBakerfoundherthustowardsfiveo’clockthenextmorning。
Whathadhappenedbetweenoneo’clockanddawnofthatfearfulnightTrinaneverremembered。Shecouldonlyrecallherself，asinapicture，kneelingbeforeherbrokenandrifledtrunk，andthen——weekslater，soitseemedtoher——
shewoketofindherselfinherownbedwithanicedbandageaboutherforeheadandthelittleolddressmakeratherside，strokingherhot，drypalm。
ThefactsofthematterwerethattheGermanwomanwholivedbelowhadbeenawakenedsomehoursaftermidnightbythesoundsofTrina’sweeping。ShehadcomeupstairsandintotheroomtofindTrinastretchedfacedownwarduponthefloor，half-consciousandsobbing，inthethroesofanhysteriaforwhichtherewasnorelief。Thewoman，terrified，hadcalledherhusband，andbetweenthemtheyhadgotTrinauponthebed。ThentheGermanwomanhappenedtorememberthatTrinahadfriendsinthebigflatnearby，andhadsentherhusbandtofetchtheretireddressmaker，whilesheherselfremainedbehindtoundressTrinaandputhertobed。MissBakerhadcomeoveratonce，andbegantocryherselfatthesightofthedentist’spoorlittlewife。Shedidnotstoptoaskwhatthetroublewas，andindeeditwouldhavebeenuselesstoattempttogetanycoherentexplanationfromTrinaatthattime。MissBakerhadsenttheGermanwoman’shusbandtogetsomeiceatoneofthe“all-night“restaurantsofthestreet；hadkeptcold，wettowelsonTrina’shead；hadcombedandrecombedherwonderfulthickhair；andhadsatdownbythesideofthebed，holdingherhothand，withitspoormaimedfingers，waitingpatientlyuntilTrinashouldbeabletospeak。
TowardsmorningTrinaawoke——orperhapsitwasamereregainingofconsciousness——lookedamomentatMissBaker，thenabouttheroomuntilhereyesfelluponhertrunkwithitsbrokenlock。Thensheturnedoveruponthepillowandbegantosobagain。Sherefusedtoansweranyofthelittledressmaker’squestions，shakingherheadviolently，herfacehiddeninthepillow。
BybreakfasttimeherfeverhadincreasedtosuchapointthatMissBakertookmattersintoherownhandsandhadtheGermanwomancalladoctor。Hearrivedsometwentyminuteslater。Hewasabig，kindlyfellowwholivedoverthedrugstoreonthecorner。Hehadadeepvoiceandatremendousstridinggaitlesssuggestiveofaphysicianthanofasergeantofacavalrytroop。
BythetimeofhisarrivallittleMissBakerhaddivinedintuitivelytheentiretrouble。Sheheardthedoctor’sswingingtrampintheentrybelow，andheardtheGermanwomansaying：
“Righdoopderstairs，atderbackofderhalle。Derroommitderdooroppen。“
MissBakermetthedoctoratthelanding，shetoldhiminawhisperofthetrouble。
“Herhusband’sdesertedher，I’mafraid，doctor，andtookallofhermoney——agooddealofit。It’saboutkilledthepoorchild。Shewasoutofherheadagooddealofthenight，andnowshe’sgotaragingfever。“
ThedoctorandMissBakerreturnedtotheroomandentered，closingthedoor。ThebigdoctorstoodforamomentlookingdownatTrinarollingherheadfromsidetosideuponthepillow，herfacescarlet，herenormousmaneofhairspreadoutoneithersideofher。Thelittledressmakerremainedathiselbow，lookingfromhimtoTrina。
“Poorlittlewoman！“saidthedoctor；“poorlittlewoman！“
MissBakerpointedtothetrunk，whispering：
“See，there’swhereshekepthersavings。See，hebrokethelock。“
“Well，Mrs。McTeague，“saidthedoctor，sittingdownbythebed，andtakingTrina’swrist，“alittlefever，eh？“
Trinaopenedhereyesandlookedathim，andthenatMissBaker。Shedidnotseemintheleastsurprisedattheunfamiliarfaces。Sheappearedtoconsideritallasamatterofcourse。
“Yes，“shesaid，withalong，tremulousbreath，“Ihaveafever，andmyhead——myheadachesandaches。“
Thedoctorprescribedrestandmildopiates。ThenhiseyefelluponthefingersofTrina’srighthand。Helookedatthemsharply。Adeepredglow，unmistakabletoaphysician’seyes，wasuponsomeofthem，extendingfromthefingertipsuptothesecondknuckle。
“Hello，“heexclaimed，“what’sthematterhere？“Infactsomethingwasverywrongindeed。FordaysTrinahadnoticedit。Thefingersofherrighthandhadswollenasneverbefore，achinganddiscolored。CruellylaceratedbyMcTeague’sbrutalityastheywere，shehadneverthelessgoneonaboutherworkontheNoah’sarkanimals，constantlyincontactwiththe“non-poisonous“paint。Shetoldasmuchtothedoctorinanswertohisquestions。Heshookhisheadwithanexclamation。
“Why，thisisblood-poisoning，youknow，“hetoldher；“theworstkind。You’llhavetohavethosefingersamputated，beyondadoubt，orlosetheentirehand——orevenworse。“
“Andmywork！“exclaimedTrina。
CHAPTER19
Onecanholdascrubbing-brushwithtwogoodfingersandthestumpsoftwoothersevenifbothjointsofthethumbaregone，butittakesconsiderablepracticetogetusedtoit。
Trinabecameascrub-woman。ShehadtakencouncilofSelina，andthroughherhadobtainedthepositionofcare-
takerinalittlememorialkindergartenoveronPacificStreet。LikePolkStreet，itwasanaccommodationstreet，butrunningthroughamuchpoorerandmoresordidquarter。
Trinahadalittleroomoverthekindergartenschoolroom。
Itwasnotanunpleasantroom。Itlookedoutuponasunnylittlecourtflooredwithboardsandusedasthechildren’splayground。Twogreatcherrytreesgrewhere，theleavesalmostbrushingagainstthewindowofTrina’sroomandfilteringthesunlightsothatitfellinroundgoldenspotsupontheflooroftheroom。“Likegoldpieces，“Trinasaidtoherself。
Trina’sworkconsistedintakingcareofthekindergartenrooms，scrubbingthefloors，washingthewindows，dustingandairing，andcarryingouttheashes。BesidesthissheearnedsomefivedollarsamonthbywashingdownthefrontstepsofsomebigflatsonWashingtonStreet，andbycleaningoutvacanthousesafterthetenantshadleft。Shesawnoone。Nobodyknewher。Shewentaboutherworkfromdawntodark，andoftenentiredayspassedwhenshedidnothearthesoundofherownvoice。Shewasalone，asolitary，abandonedwoman，lostinthelowesteddiesofthegreatcity’stide——thetidethatalwaysebbs。
WhenTrinahadbeendischargedfromthehospitalaftertheoperationonherfingers，shefoundherselfaloneintheworld，alonewithherfivethousanddollars。Theinterestofthiswouldsupporther，andyetallowhertosavealittle。
ButforatimeTrinahadthoughtofgivingupthefightaltogetherandofjoiningherfamilyinthesouthernpartoftheState。Butevenwhileshehesitatedaboutthisshereceivedalongletterfromhermother，ananswertoonesheherselfhadwrittenjustbeforetheamputationofherright-
handfingers——thelastlettershewouldeverbeabletowrite。Mrs。Sieppe’sletterwasonelonglamentation；shehadherownmisfortunestobewailaswellasthoseofherdaughter。Thecarpet-cleaningandupholsterybusinesshadfailed。Mr。SieppeandOwgoostehadleftforNewZealandwithacolonizationcompany，whitherMrs。Sieppeandthetwinsweretofollowthemassoonasthecolonyestablisheditself。SofarfromhelpingTrinainherillfortune，itwasshe，hermother，whomightsomedayinthenearfuturebeobligedtoturntoTrinaforaid。SoTrinahadgivenuptheideaofanyhelpfromherfamily。Forthatmattersheneedednone。Shestillhadherfivethousand，andUncleOelbermannpaidhertheinterestwithamachine-likeregularity。NowthatMcTeaguehadlefther，therewasonelessmouthtofeed；andwiththissaving，togetherwiththelittleshecouldearnasscrub-woman，TrinacouldalmostmanagetomakegoodtheamountshelostbybeingobligedtoceaseworkupontheNoah’sarkanimals。
LittlebylittlehersorrowoverthelossofherprecioussavingsovercamethegriefofMcTeague’sdesertionofher。
Heravaricehadgrowntobeheronedominantpassion；herloveofmoneyforthemoney’ssakebroodedinherheart，drivingoutbydegreeseveryothernaturalaffection。Shegrewthinandmeagre；herfleshclovetighttohersmallskeleton；hersmallpalemouthandlittleupliftedchingrewtohaveacertainfelineeagernessofexpression；herlong，narroweyesglistenedcontinually，asiftheycaughtandheldtheglintofmetal。Onedayasshesatinherroom，theemptybrassmatch-boxandthelimpchamoisbaginherhands，shesuddenlyexclaimed：
“Icouldhaveforgivenhimifhehadonlygoneawayandleftmemymoney。Icouldhave——yes，IcouldhaveforgivenhimevenTHIS“——shelookedatthestumpsofherfingers。
“Butnow，“herteethclosedtightandhereyesflashed，“now——I’ll——never——forgive——him——as-long——as——I——live。“
Theemptybagandthehollow，lightmatch-boxtroubledher。
Dayafterdayshetookthemfromhertrunkandweptoverthemasotherwomenweepoveradeadbaby’sshoe。Herfourhundreddollarsweregone，weregone，weregone。Shewouldneverseethemagain。Shecouldplainlyseeherhusbandspendinghersavingsbyhandfuls；squanderingherbeautifulgoldpiecesthatshehadbeenatsuchpainstopolishwithsoapandashes。Thethoughtfilledherwithanunspeakableanguish。ShewouldwakeatnightfromadreamofMcTeaguerevellingdownhermoney，andaskofthedarkness，“Howmuchdidhespendto-day？Howmanyofthegoldpiecesareleft？
Hashebrokeneitherofthetwotwenty-dollarpiecesyet？
Whatdidhespenditfor？“