“Lookatthatdog，“hecriedtoMcTeague，showinghimafinely-bredIrishsetter。“That’sthedogthatbelongedtotheduckontheavenue，thedogwecalledforthatday。
　　I’vebought’um。Theduckthoughthehadthedistemper，andjustthrew’umaway。Nothunwrongwith’umbutalittlecatarrh。Ain’theabird？Say，ain’theabird？Lookathisflag；it’sperfect；andseehowhecarrieshistailonalinewithhisback。Seehowstiffandwhitehiswhiskersare。Oh，bydamn！youcan’tfoolmeonadog。Thatdog’sawinner。“
　　AttheCliffHousethetwosatdowntotheirbeerinaquietcornerofthebilliard-room。Therewerebuttwoplayers。
　　Somewhereinanotherpartofthebuildingamammothmusic-
　　boxwasjanglingoutaquickstep。Fromoutsidecamethelong，rhythmicalrushofthesurfandthesonorousbarkingofthesealsuponthesealrocks。Thefourdogscurledthemselvesdownuponthesandedfloor。
　　“Here’show，“saidMarcus，halfemptyinghisglass。“Ah-h！“
　　headded，withalongbreath，“that’sgood；itis，forafact。“
　　ForthelasthouroftheirwalkMarcushaddonenearlyallthetalking。McTeaguemerelyansweringhimbyuncertainmovementsofthehead。Forthatmatter，thedentisthadbeensilentandpreoccupiedthroughoutthewholeafternoon。
　　AtlengthMarcusnoticedit。Ashesetdownhisglasswithabanghesuddenlyexclaimed：
　　“What’sthematterwithyouthesedays，Mac？Yougotabeanaboutsomethun，hey？Spitutout。“
　　“No，no，“repliedMcTeague，lookingaboutonthefloor，rollinghiseyes；“nothing，no，no。“
　　“Ah，rats！“returnedtheother。McTeaguekeptsilence。Thetwobilliardplayersdeparted。Thehugemusic-boxstruckintoafreshtune。
　　“Huh！“exclaimedMarcus，withashortlaugh，“guessyou’reinlove。“
　　McTeaguegasped，andshuffledhisenormousfeetunderthetable。
　　“Well，somethun’sbitunyou，anyhow，“pursuedMarcus。
　　“MaybeIcanhelpyou。We’repals，youknow。Bettertellmewhat’sup；guesswecanstraightenutout。Ah，goon；spitutout。“
　　Thesituationwasabominable。McTeaguecouldnotrisetoit。Marcuswashisbestfriend，hisonlyfriend。Theywere“pals“andMcTeaguewasveryfondofhim。Yettheywerebothinlove，presumably，withthesamegirl，andnowMarcuswouldtryandforcethesecretoutofhim；wouldrushblindlyattherockuponwhichthetwomustsplit，stirredbytheverybestofmotives，wishingonlytobeofservice。
　　Besidesthis，therewasnobodytowhomMcTeaguewouldhavebetterpreferredtotellhistroublesthantoMarcus，andyetaboutthistrouble，thegreatesttroubleofhislife，hemustkeepsilent；mustrefrainfromspeakingofittoMarcusaboveeverybody。
　　McTeaguebegandimlytofeelthatlifewastoomuchforhim。
　　Howhaditallcomeabout？Amonthagohewasperfectlycontent；hewascalmandpeaceful，takinghislittlepleasuresashefoundthem。Hislifehadshapeditself；
　　was，nodoubt，tocontinuealwaysalongthesesamelines。A
　　womanhadenteredhissmallworldandinstantlytherewasdiscord。Thedisturbingelementhadappeared。Whereverthewomanhadputherfootascoreofdistressingcomplicationshadsprungup，likethesuddengrowthofstrangeandpuzzlingflowers。
　　“Say，Mac，goon；let’shaveutstraight，“urgedMarcus，leaningtowardhim。“Hasanyduckbeendoingyoudirt？“hecried，hisfacecrimsonontheinstant。
　　“No，“saidMcTeague，helplessly。
　　“Comealong，oldman，“persistedMarcus；“let’shaveut。
　　Whatistherow？I’lldoallIcantohelpyou。“
　　ItwasmorethanMcTeaguecouldbear。Thesituationhadgotbeyondhim。Stupidlyhespoke，hishandsdeepinhispockets，hisheadrolledforward。
　　“It’s——it’sMissSieppe，“hesaid。
　　“Trina，mycousin？Howdoyoumean？“inquiredMarcussharply。
　　“I——I——Idon’know，“stammeredMcTeague，hopelesslyconfounded。
　　“Youmean，“criedMarcus，suddenlyenlightened，“thatyouare——thatyou，too。“
　　McTeaguestirredinhischair，lookingatthewallsoftheroom，avoidingtheother’sglance。Henoddedhishead，thensuddenlybrokeout：
　　“Ican’thelpit。Itain’tmyfault，isit？“
　　Marcuswasstruckdumb；hedroppedbackinhischairbreathless。SuddenlyMcTeaguefoundhistongue。
　　“Itellyou，Mark，Ican’thelpit。Idon’tknowhowithappened。ItcameonsoslowthatIwas，that——that——thatitwasdonebeforeIknewit，beforeIcouldhelpmyself。I
　　knowwe’repals，ustwo，andIknewhow——howyouandMissSieppewere。Iknownow，Iknewthen；butthatwouldn’thavemadeanydifference。BeforeIknewit——it——it——thereI
　　was。Ican’thelpit。Iwouldn’t’a’haduthappenforanything，ifIcould’a’stoppedit，butIdon’know，it’ssomethingthat’sjuststrongerthanyouare，that’sall。
　　Shecamethere——MissSieppecametotheparlorstherethreeorfourtimesaweek，andshewasthefirstgirlIhadeverknown，——andyoudon’know！Why，IwassoclosetoherI
　　touchedherfaceeveryminute，andhermouth，andsmeltherhairandherbreath——oh，youdon’tknowanythingaboutit。
　　Ican’tgiveyouanyidea。Idon’knowexactlymyself；I
　　onlyknowhowI’mfixed。I——I——it’sbeendone；it’stoolate，there’snogoingback。Why，Ican’tthinkofanythingelsenightandday。It’severything。It’s——it’s——oh，it’severything！I——I——why，Mark，it’severything——Ican’texplain。“Hemadeahelplessmovementwithbothhands。
　　NeverhadMcTeaguebeensoexcited；neverhadhemadesolongaspeech。Hisarmsmovedinfierce，uncertaingestures，hisfaceflushed，hisenormousjawsshuttogetherwithasharpclickateverypause。Itwaslikesomecolossalbrutetrappedinadelicate，invisiblemesh，raging，exasperated，powerlesstoextricatehimself。
　　MarcusSchoulersaidnothing。Therewasalongsilence。
　　Marcusgotupandwalkedtothewindowandstoodlookingout，butseeingnothing。“Well，whowouldhavethoughtofthis？“hemutteredunderhisbreath。Herewasafix。
　　MarcuscaredforTrina。Therewasnodoubtinhismindaboutthat。HelookedforwardeagerlytotheSundayafternoonexcursions。HelikedtobewithTrina。He，too，feltthecharmofthelittlegirl——thecharmofthesmall，paleforehead；thelittlechinthrustoutasifinconfidenceandinnocence；theheavy，odorouscrownofblackhair。Helikedherimmensely。Somedayhewouldspeak；hewouldaskhertomarryhim。Marcusputoffthismatterofmarriagetosomefutureperiod；itwouldbesometime——ayear，perhaps，ortwo。Thethingdidnottakedefiniteshapeinhismind。Marcus“keptcompany“withhiscousinTrina，butheknewplentyofothergirls。Forthematterofthat，helikedallgirlsprettywell。JustnowthesinglenessandstrengthofMcTeague’spassionstartledhim。
　　McTeaguewouldmarryTrinathatveryafternoonifshewouldhavehim；butwouldhe——Marcus？No，hewouldnot；ifitcametothat，no，hewouldnot。YetheknewhelikedTrina。
　　Hecouldsay——yes，hecouldsay——helovedher。Shewashis“girl。“TheSieppesacknowledgedhimasTrina’s“youngman。“Marcuscamebacktothetableandsatdownsidewaysuponit。
　　“Well，whatarewegoingtodoaboutit，Mac？“hesaid。
　　“Idon’know，“answeredMcTeague，ingreatdistress。“I
　　don’wantanythingto——tocomebetweenus，Mark。“
　　“Well，nothunwill，youbet！“vociferatedtheother。“No，sir；youbetnot，Mac。“
　　Marcuswasthinkinghard。HecouldseeveryclearlythatMcTeaguelovedTrinamorethanhedid；thatinsomestrangewaythishuge，brutalfellowwascapableofagreaterpassionthanhimself，whowastwiceasclever。SuddenlyMarcusjumpedimpetuouslytoaresolution。
　　“Well，say，Mac，“hecried，strikingthetablewithhisfist，“goahead。Iguessyou——youwantherprettybad。I’llpullout；yes，Iwill。I’llgiveheruptoyou，oldman。“
　　ThesenseofhisownmagnanimityallatonceovercameMarcus。Hesawhimselfasanotherman，verynoble，self-
　　sacrificing；hestoodapartandwatchedthissecondselfwithboundlessadmirationandwithinfinitepity。Hewassogood，somagnificent，soheroic，thathealmostsobbed。Marcusmadeasweepinggestureofresignation，throwingoutbothhisarms，crying：
　　“Mac，I’llgiveheruptoyou。Iwon’tstandbetweenyou。“
　　TherewereactuallytearsinMarcus’seyesashespoke。
　　Therewasnodoubthethoughthimselfsincere。AtthatmomenthealmostbelievedhelovedTrinaconscientiously，thathewassacrificinghimselfforthesakeofhisfriend。