第19章

observedtheagenttoMarcusasthetwosatsmokingattheendofthetable。“Thelightendshouldberolledtoapoint。“

“Ah，theChinesecigar-makers，“criedMarcus，inapassion，brandishinghisfist。“It’sthemasisruiningthecauseofwhitelabor。Theyare，theyareforaFACT。Ah，therat-eaters！Ah，thewhite-liveredcurs！“

Overinthecorner，bythestandofshelves，OldGranniswaslisteningtoMariaMacapa。TheMexicanwomanhadbeenviolentlystirredoverTrina’ssuddenwealth；Maria’smindhadgonebacktoheryoungerdays。Sheleanedforward，herelbowsonherknees，herchininherhands，hereyeswideandfixed。OldGrannislistenedtoherattentively。

“Therewa’n’tapiecethatwassomuchasscratched，“Mariawassaying。“Everypiecewasjustlikeamirror，smoothandbright；oh，brightasalittlesun。Suchaserviceasthatwas——plattersandsouptureensandanimmensebigpunch-

bowl。Fivethousanddollars，whatdoesthatamountto？Why，thatpunch-bowlalonewasworthafortune。“

“Whatawonderfulstory！“exclaimedOldGrannis，neverforaninstantdoubtingitstruth。“Andit’salllostnow，yousay？“

“Lost，lost，“repeatedMaria。

“Tut，tut！Whatapity！Whatapity！“

Suddenlytheagentroseandbrokeoutwith：

“Well，Imustbegoing，ifI’mtogetanycar。“

Heshookhandswitheverybody，offeredapartingcigartoMarcus，congratulatedMcTeagueandTrinaalasttime，andbowedhimselfout。

“Whatanelegantgentleman，“commentedMissBaker。

“Ah，“saidMarcus，noddinghishead，“there’samanoftheworldforyou。Rightontohimself，bydamn！“

Thecompanybrokeup。

“Comealong，Mac，“criedMarcus；“we’retosleepwiththedogsto-night，youknow。“

Thetwofriendssaid“Good-night“allaroundanddepartedforthelittledoghospital。

OldGrannishurriedtohisroomfurtively，terrifiedlestheshouldagainbebroughtfacetofacewithMissBaker。Heboltedhimselfinandlisteneduntilheheardherfootinthehallandthesoftclosingofherdoor。Shewasthereclosebesidehim；asonemightsay，inthesameroom；

forhe，too，hadmadethediscoveryastothesimilarityofthewallpaper。Atlongintervalshecouldhearafaintrustlingasshemovedabout。Whataneveningthathadbeenforhim！Hehadmether，hadspokentoher，hadtouchedherhand；hewasinatremorofexcitement。Inalikemannerthelittleolddressmakerlistenedandquivered。HEwasthereinthatsameroomwhichtheysharedincommon，separatedonlybythethinnestboardpartition。Hewasthinkingofher，shewasalmostsureofit。Theywerestrangersnolonger；theywereacquaintances，friends。Whataneventthateveninghadbeenintheirlives！

Lateasitwas，MissBakerbrewedacupofteaandsatdowninherrockingchairclosetothepartition；sherockedgently，sippinghertea，calmingherselfaftertheemotionsofthatwonderfulevening。

OldGrannisheardtheclinkingoftheteathingsandsmeltthefaintodorofthetea。Itseemedtohimasignal，aninvitation。Hedrewhischairclosetohissideofthepartition，beforehiswork-table。Apileofhalf-bound“Nations“wasinthelittlebindingapparatus；hethreadedhishugeupholsterer’sneedlewithstouttwineandsettowork。

Itwastheirtete-a-tete。Instinctivelytheyfelteachother’spresence，felteachother’sthoughtcomingtothemthroughthethinpartition。Itwascharming；theywereperfectlyhappy。Thereinthestillnessthatsettledovertheflatinthehalfhouraftermidnightthetwooldpeople“keptcompany，“enjoyingaftertheirfashiontheirlittleromancethathadcomesolateintothelivesofeach。

OnthewaytoherroominthegarretMariaMacapapausedunderthesinglegas-jetthatburnedatthetopofthewellofthestaircase；sheassuredherselfthatshewasalone，andthendrewfromherpocketoneofMcTeague’s“tapes“ofnon-cohesivegold。Itwasthemostvaluablestealshehadeveryetmadeinthedentist’s“Parlors。“Shetoldherselfthatitwasworthatleastacoupleofdollars。

Suddenlyanideaoccurredtoher，andshewenthastilytoawindowattheendofthehall，and，shadingherfacewithbothhands，lookeddownintothelittlealleyjustbackoftheflat。OnsomenightsZerkow，thered-headedPolishJew，satuplate，takingaccountoftheweek’sragpicking。Therewasadimlightinhiswindownow。

Mariawenttoherroom，threwashawlaroundherhead，anddescendedintothelittlebackyardoftheflatbythebackstairs。Assheletherselfoutofthebackgateintothealley，Alexander，Marcus’sIrishsetter，wokesuddenlywithagruffbark。Thecolliewholivedontheothersideofthefence，inthebackyardofthebranchpost-office，answeredwithasnarl。Theninaninstanttheendlessfeudbetweenthetwodogswasresumed。Theydraggedtheirrespectivekennelstothefence，andthroughthecracksragedateachotherinafrenzyofhate；theirteethsnappedandgleamed；

thehacklesontheirbacksroseandstiffened。Theirhideousclamorcouldhavebeenheardforblocksaround。Whatamassacreshouldthetwoevermeet！

Meanwhile，MariawasknockingatZerkow’smiserablehovel。

“Whoisit？Whoisit？“criedtherag-pickerfromwithin，inhishoarsevoice，thatwashalfwhisper，startingnervously，andsweepingahandfulofsilverintohisdrawer。

“It’sme，MariaMacapa；“theninalowervoice，andasifspeakingtoherself，“hadaflyingsquirrelan’lethimgo。“

“Ah，Maria，“criedZerkow，obsequiouslyopeningthedoor。

“Comein，comein，mygirl；you’realwayswelcome，evenaslateasthis。Nojunk，hey？Butyou’rewelcomeforallthat。You’llhaveadrink，won’tyou？“Heledherintohisbackroomandgotdownthewhiskeybottleandthebrokenredtumbler。

AfterthetwohaddrunktogetherMariaproducedthegold“tape。“Zerkow’seyesglitteredontheinstant。Thesightofgoldinvariablysentaqualmallthroughhim；tryashewould，hecouldnotrepressit。Hisfingerstrembledandclawedathismouth；hisbreathgrewshort。

“Ah，ah，ah！“heexclaimed，“giveithere，giveithere；

giveittome，Maria。That’sagoodgirl，comegiveittome。“

Theyhaggledasusualovertheprice，butto-nightMariawastooexcitedoverothermatterstospendmuchtimeinbickeringoverafewcents。

“Lookhere，Zerkow，“shesaidassoonasthetransferwasmade，“Igotsomethingtotellyou。AlittlewhileagoI

soldalotterytickettoagirlattheflat；thedrawingwasinthisevening’spapers。Howmuchdoyousupposethatgirlhaswon？“

“Idon’tknow。Howmuch？Howmuch？“

“Fivethousanddollars。“

ItwasasthoughaknifehadbeenrunthroughtheJew；aspasmofanalmostphysicalpaintwistedhisface——hisentirebody。Heraisedhisclenchedfistsintotheair，hiseyesshut，histeethgnawinghislip。

“Fivethousanddollars，“hewhispered；“fivethousanddollars。Forwhat？Fornothing，forsimplybuyingaticket；

andIhaveworkedsohardforit，sohard，sohard。Fivethousanddollars，fivethousanddollars。Oh，whycouldn’tithavecometome？“hecried，hisvoicechoking，thetearsstartingtohiseyes；“whycouldn’tithavecometome？Tocomesoclose，soclose，andyettomissme——mewhohaveworkedforit，foughtforit，starvedforit，amdyingforiteveryday。Thinkofit，Maria，fivethousanddollars，allbright，heavypieces——“

“Brightasasunset，“interruptedMaria，herchinproppedonherhands。“Suchaglory，andheavy。Yes，everypiecewasheavy，anditwasallyoucoulddotoliftthepunch-bowl。

Why，thatpunch-bowlwasworthafortunealone——“

“Anditrangwhenyouhititwithyourknuckles，didn’tit？“

promptedZerkow，eagerly，hislipstrembling，hisfingershookingthemselvesintoclaws。

“Sweeter’nanychurchbell，“continuedMaria。

“Goon，goon，goon，“criedZerkow，drawinghischaircloser，andshuttinghiseyesinecstasy。

“Thereweremorethanahundredpieces，andeveryoneofthemgold——“

“Ah，everyoneofthemgold。“

“Youshouldhaveseenthesightwhentheleathertrunkwasopened。Therewa’n’tapiecethatwassomuchasscratched；

everyonewaslikeamirror，smoothandbright，polishedsothatitlookedblack——youknowhowImean。“

“Oh，Iknow，Iknow，“criedZerkow，moisteninghislips。

Thenhepliedherwithquestions——questionsthatcoveredeverydetailofthatserviceofplate。Itwassoft，wasn’tit？Youcouldbiteintoaplateandleaveadent？Thehandlesoftheknives，now，weretheygold，too？Alltheknifewasmadefromonepieceofgold，wasit？Andtheforksthesame？Theinteriorofthetrunkwasquilted，ofcourse？DidMariaeverpolishtheplatesherself？Whenthecompanyateoffthisservice，itmusthavemadeafinenoise——thesegoldknivesandforksclinkingtogetheruponthesegoldplates。

“Now，let’shaveitalloveragain，Maria，“pleadedZerkow。

“Beginnowwith’Thereweremorethanahundredpieces，andeveryoneofthemgold。’Goon，begin，begin，begin！“

Thered-headedPolewasinafeverofexcitement。Maria’srecitalhadbecomeaveritablemaniawithhim。Ashelistened，withclosedeyesandtremblinglips，hefanciedhecouldseethatwonderfulplatebeforehim，thereonthetable，underhiseyes，underhishand，ponderous，massive，gleaming。HetormentedMariaintoasecondrepetitionofthestory——intoathird。Themorehisminddweltuponit，thesharpergrewhisdesire。Then，withMaria’srefusaltocontinuethetale，camethereaction。Zerkowawokeasfromsomeravishingdream。Theplatewasgone，wasirretrievablylost。Therewasnothinginthatmiserableroombutgrimyragsandrust-corrodediron。Whattorment！whatagony！tobesonear——sonear，toseeitinone’sdistortedfancyasplainasinamirror。Toknoweveryindividualpieceasanoldfriend；tofeelitsweight；tobedazzledbyitsglitter；tocallitone’sown，own；tohaveittooneself，huggedtothebreast；andthentostart，towake，tocomedowntothehorriblereality。

“Andyou，YOUhaditonce，“gaspedZerkow，clawingatherarm；“youhaditonce，allyourown。Thinkofit，andnowit’sgone。“

“Goneforgoodandall。“

“Perhapsit’sburiednearyouroldplacesomewhere。“

“It’sgone——gone——gone，“chantedMariainamonotone。

Zerkowdughisnailsintohisscalp，tearingathisredhair。

“Yes，yes，it’sgone，it’sgone——lostforever！Lostforever！“