第14章

Thedayhehadspokentoherinhis“Parlors“shehadonlybeenterrified。Ifhehadconfinedhimselftomerelyspeaking，asdidMarcus，topleadingwithher，towooingheratadistance，forestallingherwishes，showingherlittleattentions，sendingherboxesofcandy，shecouldhaveeasilywithstoodhim。Buthehadonlytotakeherinhisarms，tocrushdownherstrugglewithhisenormousstrength，tosubdueher，conquerherbysheerbruteforce，andshegaveupinaninstant。

Butwhy——whyhadshedoneso？Whydidshefeelthedesire，thenecessityofbeingconqueredbyasuperiorstrength？

Whydiditpleaseher？Whyhaditsuddenlythrilledherfromheadtofootwithaquick，terrifyinggustofpassion，thelikeofwhichshehadneverknown？NeverathisbesthadMarcusmadeherfeellikethat，andyetshehadalwaysthoughtshecaredforCousinMarkmorethanforanyoneelse。

WhenMcTeaguehadallatoncecaughtherinhishugearms，somethinghadleapedtolifeinher——somethingthathadhithertolaindormant，somethingstrongandoverpowering。

Itfrightenedhernowasshethoughtofit，thissecondselfthathadwakenedwithinher，andthatshoutedandclamoredforrecognition。Andyet，wasittobefeared？Wasitsomethingtobeashamedof？Wasitnot，afterall，natural，clean，spontaneous？Trinaknewthatshewasapuregirl；

knewthatthissuddencommotionwithinhercarriedwithitnosuggestionofvice。

Dimly，asfiguresseeninawakingdream，theseideasfloatedthroughTrina’smind。Itwasquitebeyondhertorealizethemclearly；shecouldnotknowwhattheymeant。

UntilthatrainydaybytheshoreofthebayTrinahadlivedherlifewithaslittleself-consciousnessasatree。Shewasfrank，straightforward，ahealthy，naturalhumanbeing，withoutsexasyet。Shewasalmostlikeaboy。Atoncetherehadbeenamysteriousdisturbance。Thewomanwithinhersuddenlyawoke。

DidsheloveMcTeague？Difficultquestion。Didshechoosehimforbetterorforworse，deliberately，ofherownfreewill，orwasTrinaherselfallowedevenachoiceinthetakingofthatstepthatwastomakeormarherlife？TheWomanisawakened，and，startingfromhersleep，catchesblindlyatwhatfirsthernewlyopenedeyeslightupon。Itisaspell，awitchery，ruledbychancealone，inexplicable——afairyqueenenamoredofaclownwithass’sears。

McTeaguehadawakenedtheWoman，and，whethershewouldorno，shewashisnowirrevocably；struggleagainstitasshewould，shebelongedtohim，bodyandsoul，forlifeorfordeath。Shehadnotsoughtit，shehadnotdesiredit。Thespellwaslaiduponher。Wasitablessing？Wasitacurse？Itwasallone；shewashis，indissolubly，forevilorforgood。

Andhe？Theveryactofsubmissionthatboundthewomantohimforeverhadmadeherseemlessdesirableinhiseyes。

Theirundoinghadalreadybegun。Yetneitherofthemwastoblame。Fromthefirsttheyhadnotsoughteachother。

Chancehadbroughtthemfacetoface，andmysteriousinstinctsasungovernableasthewindsofheavenwereatworkknittingtheirlivestogether。Neitherofthemhadaskedthatthisthingshouldbe——thattheirdestinies，theirverysouls，shouldbethesportofchance。Iftheycouldhaveknown，theywouldhaveshunnedthefearfulrisk。Buttheywereallowednovoiceinthematter。Whyshoulditallbe？

IthadbeenonaWednesdaythatthesceneintheBStreetstationhadtakenplace。Throughouttherestoftheweek，ateveryhouroftheday，Trinaaskedherselfthesamequestion：“DoIlovehim？DoIreallylovehim？Isthiswhatloveislike？“AssherecalledMcTeague——recalledhishuge，square-cuthead，hissalientjaw，hisshockofyellowhair，hisheavy，lumberingbody，hisslowwits——shefoundlittletoadmireinhimbeyondhisphysicalstrength，andatsuchmomentssheshookherheaddecisively。“No，surelyshedidnotlovehim。“Sundayafternoon，however，McTeaguecalled。Trinahadpreparedalittlespeechforhim。ShewastotellhimthatshedidnotknowwhathadbeenthematterwithherthatWednesdayafternoon；thatshehadactedlikeabadgirl；thatshedidnotlovehimwellenoughtomarryhim；thatshehadtoldhimasmuchoncebefore。

McTeaguesawheraloneinthelittlefrontparlor。Theinstantsheappearedhecamestraighttowardsher。Shesawwhathewasbentupondoing。“Waitaminute，“shecried，puttingoutherhands。“Wait。Youdon’tunderstand。I

havegotsomethingtosaytoyou。“Shemightaswellhavetalkedtothewind。McTeagueputasideherhandswithasinglegesture，andgrippedhertohiminabearlikeembracethatallbutsmotheredher。Trinawasbutareedbeforethatgiantstrength。McTeagueturnedherfacetohisandkissedheragainuponthemouth。WherewasallTrina’sresolvethen？Wherewashercarefullypreparedlittlespeech？

Wherewasallherhesitationandtorturingdoubtsofthelastfewdays？SheclaspedMcTeague’shugeredneckwithbothherslenderarms；sheraisedheradorablelittlechinandkissedhiminreturn，exclaiming：“Oh，Idoloveyou！I

doloveyou！“Neverafterwardwerethetwosohappyasatthatmoment。

Alittlelaterinthatsameweek，whenMarcusandMcTeagueweretakinglunchatthecarconductors’coffee-joint，theformersuddenlyexclaimed：

“Say，Mac，nowthatyou’vegotTrina，yououghttodomoreforher。Bydamn！yououghtto，forafact。Whydon’tyoutakeheroutsomewhere——tothetheatre，orsomewhere？Youain’tontoyourjob。“

Naturally，McTeaguehadtoldMarcusofhissuccesswithTrina。Marcushadtakenonagrandair。

“You’vegother，haveyou？Well，I’mgladofit，oldman。I

am，forafact。Iknowyou’llbehappywithher。I

knowhowIwouldhavebeen。Iforgiveyou；yes，Iforgiveyou，freely。“

McTeaguehadnotthoughtoftakingTrinatothetheatre。

“YouthinkIoughtto，Mark？“heinquired，hesitating。

Marcusanswered，withhismouthfullofsuetpudding：

“Why，ofcourse。That’sthepropercaper。“

“Well——well，that’sso。Thetheatre——that’stheword。“

“TakehertothevarietyshowattheOrpheum。There’sagoodshowtherethisweek；you’llhavetotakeMrs。Sieppe，too，ofcourse，“headded。Marcuswasnotsureofhimselfasregardedcertainproprieties，nor，forthatmatter，wereanyofthepeopleofthelittleworldofPolkStreet。Theshopgirls，theplumbers’apprentices，thesmalltradespeople，andtheirlike，whosesocialpositionwasnotclearlydefined，couldneverbesurehowfartheycouldgoandyetpreservetheir“respectability。“Whentheywishedtobe“proper，“theyinvariablyoverdidthething。Itwasnotasiftheybelongedtothe“tough“element，whohadnoappearancestokeepup。PolkStreetrubbedelbowswiththe“avenue“oneblockabove。Therewerecertainlimitswhichitsdwellerscouldnotoverstep；butunfortunatelyforthem，theselimitswerepoorlydefined。Theycouldneverbesureofthemselves。Atanunguardedmomenttheymightbetakenfor“toughs，“sotheygenerallyerredintheotherdirection，andwereabsurdlyformal。Nopeoplehaveakeenereyefortheamenitiesthanthosewhosesocialpositionisnotassured。

“Oh，sure，you’llhavetotakehermother，“insistedMarcus。

“Itwouldn’tbetheproperracketifyoudidn’t。“

McTeagueundertooktheaffair。Itwasanordeal。Neverinhislifehadhebeensoperturbed，sohorriblyanxious。HecalleduponTrinathefollowingWednesdayandmadearrangements。Mrs。SieppeaskediflittleAugustmightbeincluded。Itwouldconsolehimforthelossofhissteamboat。

“Sure，sure，“saidMcTeague。“Augusttoo——everybody，“headded，vaguely。

“Wealwayshavetoleavesoearly，“complainedTrina，“inordertocatchthelastboat。Justwhenit’sbecominginteresting。“

AtthisMcTeague，actinguponasuggestionofMarcusSchouler’s，insistedtheyshouldstayattheflatovernight。Marcusandthedentistwouldgiveuptheirroomstothemandsleepatthedoghospital。TherewasabedthereinthesickwardthatoldGrannissometimesoccupiedwhenabadcaseneededwatching。AllatonceMcTeaguehadanidea，averitableinspiration。

“Andwe’ll——we’ll——we’llhave——what’sthematterwithhavingsomethingtoeatafterwardinmy“Parlors？“

“Vairygoot，“commentedMrs。Sieppe。“Bier，eh？Andsomedamales。“

“Oh，Ilovetamales！“exclaimedTrina，claspingherhands。

McTeaguereturnedtothecity，rehearsinghisinstructionsoverandover。Thetheatrepartybegantoassumetremendousproportions。Firstofall，hewastogettheseats，thethirdorfourthrowfromthefront，ontheleft-handside，soastobeoutofthehearingofthedrumsintheorchestra；hemustmakearrangementsabouttheroomswithMarcus，mustgetinthebeer，butnotthetamales；mustbuyforhimselfawhitelawntie——soMarcusdirected；mustlooktoitthatMariaMacapaputhisroominperfectorder；and，finally，mustmeettheSieppesattheferryslipathalf-

pastseventhefollowingMondaynight。

Thereallaboroftheaffairbeganwiththebuyingofthetickets。AtthetheatreMcTeaguegotintowrongentrances；

wassentfromonewickettoanother；wasbewildered，confused；misunderstooddirections；wasatonemomentsuddenlyconvincedthathehadnotenoughmoneywithhim，andstartedtoreturnhome。Finallyhefoundhimselfatthebox-officewicket。

“Isithereyoubuyyourseats？“

“Howmany？“

“Isithere——“

“Whatnightdoyouwant’em？Yes，sir，here’stheplace。“

McTeaguegravelydeliveredhimselfoftheformulahehadbeenrecitingforthelastdozenhours。

“IwantfourseatsforMondaynightinthefourthrowfromthefront，andontheright-handside。“

“Righthandasyoufacethehouseorasyoufacethestage？“McTeaguewasdumfounded。

“Iwanttobeontheright-handside，“heinsisted，stolidly；adding，“inordertobeawayfromthedrums。“