第6章

Nothingcouldhavebeenmorehorriblyconstrained，moreawkward。Thetwooldpeoplesufferedveritabletorture。

WhenMariahadgone，eachheavedasighofunspeakablerelief。Softlytheypushedtotheirdoors，leavingopenaspaceofhalfadozeninches。OldGranniswentbacktohisbinding。MissBakerbrewedacupofteatoquiethernerves。Eachtriedtoregaintheircomposure，butinvain。

OldGrannis’sfingerstrembledsothatheprickedthemwithhisneedle。MissBakerdroppedherspoontwice。Theirnervousnesswouldnotwearoff。Theywereperturbed，upset。

Inaword，theafternoonwasspoiled。

Mariawentonabouttheflatfromroomtoroom。ShehadalreadypaidMarcusSchouleravisitearlythatmorningbeforehehadgoneout。Marcushadswornather，excitedlyvociferating；“No，bydamn！No，hehadn’tathingforher；

hehadn’t，forafact。Itwasapositivepersecution。Everydayhisprivacywasinvaded。Hewouldcomplaintothelandlady，hewould。He’dmoveoutoftheplace。“IntheendhehadgivenMariasevenemptywhiskeyflasks，anirongrate，andtencents——thelatterbecausehesaidsheworeherhairlikeagirlheusedtoknow。

AftercomingfromMissBaker’sroomMariaknockedatMcTeague’sdoor。Thedentistwaslyingonthebed-loungeinhisstockingfeet，doingnothingapparently，gazingupattheceiling，lostinthought。

SincehehadspokentoTrinaSieppe，askinghersoabruptlytomarryhim，McTeaguehadpassedaweekoftorment。Forhimtherewasnogoingback。ItwasTrinanow，andnoneother。Itwasallonewithhimthathisbestfriend，Marcus，mightbeinlovewiththesamegirl。HemusthaveTrinainspiteofeverything；hewouldhavehereveninspiteofherself。Hedidnotstoptoreflectaboutthematter；hefollowedhisdesireblindly，recklessly，furiousandragingateveryobstacle。Andshehadcried“No，no！“

backathim；hecouldnotforgetthat。She，sosmallandpaleanddelicate，hadheldhimatbay，whowassohuge，soimmenselystrong。

Besidesthat，allthecharmoftheirintimacywasgone。

Afterthatunhappysitting，Trinawasnolongerfrankandstraight-forward。Nowshewascircumspect，reserved，distant。Hecouldnolongeropenhismouth；wordsfailedhim。Atonesittinginparticulartheyhadsaidbutgood-

dayandgood-bytoeachother。Hefeltthathewasclumsyandungainly。Hetoldhimselfthatshedespisedhim。

Butthememoryofherwaswithhimconstantly。NightafternighthelaybroadawakethinkingofTrina，wonderingabouther，rackedwiththeinfinitedesireofher。Hisheadburntandthrobbed。Thepalmsofhishandsweredry。Hedozedandwoke，andwalkedaimlesslyaboutthedarkroom，bruisinghimselfagainstthethreechairsdrawnup“atattention“

underthesteelengraving，andstumblingoverthestonepugdogthatsatinfrontofthelittlestove。

Besidesthis，thejealousyofMarcusSchoulerharassedhim。

MariaMacapa，comingintohis“Parlor“toaskforjunk，foundhimflungatlengthuponthebed-lounge，gnawingathisfingersinanexcessofsilentfury。AtlunchthatdayMarcushadtoldhimofanexcursionthatwasplannedforthenextSundayafternoon。Mr。Sieppe，Trina’sfather，belongedtoarifleclubthatwastoholdameetatSchuetzenParkacrossthebay。AlltheSieppesweregoing；

therewastobeabasketpicnic。Marcus，asusual，wasinvitedtobeoneoftheparty。McTeaguewasinagony。Itwashisfirstexperience，andhesufferedalltheworseforitbecausehewastotallyunprepared。Whatmiserablecomplicationwasthisinwhichhefoundhimselfinvolved？

ItseemedsosimpletohimsincehelovedTrinatotakeherstraighttohimself，stoppingatnothing，askingnoquestions，tohaveher，andbymainstrengthtocarryherfarawaysomewhere，hedidnotknowexactlywhere，tosomevaguecountry，someundiscoveredplacewhereeverydaywasSunday。

“Gotanyjunk？“

“Huh？What？Whatisit？“exclaimedMcTeague，suddenlyrousingupfromthelounge。OftenMariadidverywellinthe“DentalParlors。“McTeaguewascontinuallybreakingthingswhichhewastoostupidtohavemended；forhimanythingthatwasbrokenwaslost。Nowitwasacuspidor，nowafire-shovelforthelittlestove，nowaChinashavingmug。

“Gotanyjunk？“

“Idon’tknow——Idon’tremember，“mutteredMcTeague。Mariaroamedabouttheroom，McTeaguefollowingherinhishugestockingedfeet。Allatonceshepounceduponasheafofoldhandinstrumentsinacoverlesscigar-box，pluggers，hardbits，andexcavators。MariahadlongcovetedsuchafindinMcTeague’s“Parlor，“knowingitshouldbesomewhereabout。Theinstrumentswereofthefinesttemperedsteelandreallyvaluable。

“Say，Doctor，Icanhavethese，can’tI？“exclaimedMaria。

“Yougotnomoreuseforthem。“McTeaguewasnotatallsureofthis。Thereweremanyinthesheafthatmightberepaired，reshaped。

“No，no，“hesaid，wagginghishead。ButMariaMacapa，knowingwithwhomshehadtodeal，atonceletlooseatorrentofwords。Shemadethedentistbelievethathehadnorighttowithholdthem，thathehadpromisedtosavethemforher。Sheaffectedagreatindignation，pursingherlipsandputtingherchinintheairasthoughwoundedinsomefinersense，changingsorapidlyfromonemoodtoanother，fillingtheroomwithsuchshrillclamor，thatMcTeaguewasdazedandbenumbed。

“Yes，allright，allright，“hesaid，tryingtomakehimselfheard。“ItWOULDbemean。Idon’twant’em。“Asheturnedfromhertopickupthebox，Mariatookadvantageofthemomenttostealthree“mats“ofsponge-goldoutoftheglasssaucer。OftenshestoleMcTeague’sgold，almostunderhisveryeyes；indeed，itwassoeasytodosothattherewasbutlittlepleasureinthetheft。ThenMariatookherselfoff。McTeaguereturnedtothesofaandflunghimselfuponitfacedownward。

AlittlebeforesuppertimeMariacompletedhersearch。Theflatwascleanedofitsjunkfromtoptobottom。Thedirtypillow-casewasfulltobursting。ShetookadvantageofthesupperhourtocarryherbundlearoundthecornerandupintothealleywhereZerkowlived。

WhenMariaenteredhisshop，Zerkowhadjustcomeinfromhisdailyrounds。Hisdecrepitwagonstoodinfrontofhisdoorlikeastrandedwreck；themiserablehorse，withitslamentableswollenjoints，fedgreedilyuponanarmfulofspoiledhayinashedattheback。

Theinteriorofthejunkshopwasdarkanddamp，andfoulwithallmannerofchokingodors。Onthewalls，onthefloor，andhangingfromtherafterswasaworldofdebris，dust-blackened，rust-corroded。Everythingwasthere，everytradewasrepresented，everyclassofsociety；thingsofironandclothandwood；allthedetritusthatagreatcitysloughsoffinitsdailylife。Zerkow’sjunkshopwasthelastabiding-place，thealmshouse，ofsucharticlesashadoutlivedtheirusefulness。

MariafoundZerkowhimselfinthebackroom，cookingsomesortofamealoveranalcoholstove。ZerkowwasaPolishJew——curiouslyenoughhishairwasfieryred。Hewasadry，shrivelledoldmanofsixtyodd。Hehadthethin，eager，cat-likelipsofthecovetous；eyesthathadgrownkeenasthoseofalynxfromlongsearchingamidstmuckanddebris；andclaw-like，prehensilefingers——thefingersofamanwhoaccumulates，butneverdisburses。ItwasimpossibletolookatZerkowandnotknowinstantlythatgreed——

inordinate，insatiablegreed——wasthedominantpassionoftheman。HewastheManwiththeRake，gropinghourlyinthemuck-heapofthecityforgold，forgold，forgold。Itwashisdream，hispassion；ateveryinstantheseemedtofeelthegeneroussolidweightofthecrudefatmetalinhispalms。Theglintofitwasconstantlyinhiseyes；thejangleofitsangforeverinhisearsasthejanglingofcymbals。

“Whoisit？Whoisit？“exclaimedZerkow，asheheardMaria’sfootstepsintheouterroom。Hisvoicewasfaint，husky，reducedalmosttoawhisperbyhisprolongedhabitofstreetcrying。

“Oh，it’syouagain，isit？“headded，peeringthroughthegloomoftheshop。“Let’ssee；you’vebeenherebefore，ain’tyou？You’retheMexicanwomanfromPolkStreet。

Macapa’syourname，hey？“

Marianodded。“Hadaflyingsquirrelan’lethimgo，“shemuttered，absently。Zerkowwaspuzzled；helookedathersharplyforamoment，thendismissedthematterwithamovementofhishead。

“Well，whatyougotforme？“hesaid。Helefthissuppertogrowcold，absorbedatonceintheaffair。

Thenalongwranglebegan。EverybitofjunkinMaria’spillow-casewasdiscussedandweighedanddisputed。Theyclamoredintoeachother’sfacesoverOldGrannis’scrackedpitcher，overMissBaker’ssilkgaiters，overMarcusSchouler’swhiskeyflasks，reachingtheclimaxofdisagreementwhenitcametoMcTeague’sinstruments。

“Ah，no，no！“shoutedMaria。“Fifteencentsforthelot！I

mightaswellmakeyouaChristmaspresent！Besides，Igotsomegoldfillingsoffhim；lookatum。“

ZerkowdrewaquickbreathasthethreepelletssuddenlyflashedinMaria’spalm。Thereitwas，thevirginmetal，thepure，unalloyedore，hisdream，hisconsumingdesire。

Hisfingerstwitchedandhookedthemselvesintohispalms，histhinlipsdrewtightacrosshisteeth。

“Ah，yougotsomegold，“hemuttered，reachingforit。

Mariashutherfistoverthepellets。“Thegoldgoeswiththeothers，“shedeclared。“You’llgi’meafairpriceforthelot，orI’lltakeumback。“

IntheendabargainwasstruckthatsatisfiedMaria。

Zerkowwasnotonewhowouldletgoldgooutofhishouse。