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。“