第37章

OnemorningaboutaweekafterMarcushadleftforthesouthernpartoftheState，McTeaguefoundanoblongletterthrustthroughtheletter-dropofthedoorofhis“Parlors。“

Theaddresswastypewritten。Heopenedit。TheletterhadbeensentfromtheCityHallandwasstampedinonecornerwiththesealoftheStateofCalifornia，veryofficial；theformandfilenumberssuperscribed。

McTeaguehadbeenmakingfillingswhenthisletterarrived。

Hewasinhis“Parlors，“potteringoverhismovablerackunderneaththebirdcageinthebaywindow。Hewasmaking“blocks“tobeusedinlargeproximalcavitiesand“cylinders“forcommencingfillings。Heheardthepostman’sstepinthehallandsawtheenvelopesbegintoshuttlethemselvesthroughtheslitofhisletter-drop。Thencamethefatoblongenvelope，withitsofficialseal，thatdroppedflatwisetothefloorwithasodden，dullimpact。

Thedentistputdownthebroachandscissorsandgathereduphismail。Therewerefourlettersaltogether。OnewasforTrina，inSelina’s“elegant“handwriting；anotherwasanadvertisementofanewkindofoperatingchairfordentists；thethirdwasacardfromamillineronthenextblock，announcinganopening；andthefourth，containedinthefatoblongenvelope，wasaprintedformwithblanksleftfornamesanddates，andaddressedtoMcTeague，fromanofficeintheCityHall。McTeaguereaditthroughlaboriously。“Idon’know，Idon’know，“hemuttered，lookingstupidlyattheriflemanufacturer’scalendar。ThenheheardTrina，fromthekitchen，singingasshemadeaclatteringnoisewiththebreakfastdishes。“IguessI’llaskTrinaaboutit，“hemuttered。

Hewentthroughthesuite，bythesitting-room，wherethesunwaspouringinthroughtheloopedbackedNottinghamcurtainsuponthecleanwhitemattingandthevarnishedsurfaceofthemelodeon，passedonthroughthebedroom，withitsframedlithographsofround-cheekedEnglishbabiesandalertfoxterriers，andcameoutintothebrick-pavedkitchen。Thekitchenwascleanasanewwhistle；thefreshlyblackenedcookstoveglowedlikeanegro’shide；thetinsandporcelain-linedstew-pansmighthavebeenofsilverandofivory。Trinawasinthecentreoftheroom，wipingoff，withadampsponge，theoilclothtable-cover，onwhichtheyhadbreakfasted。Neverhadshelookedsopretty。

Earlythoughitwas，herenormoustiaraofswarthyhairwasneatlycombedandcoiled，notapinwassomuchasloose。

Sheworeabluecalicoskirtwithawhitefigure，andabeltofimitationalligatorskinclaspedaroundhersmall，firmly-corsetedwaist；hershirtwaistwasofpinklinen，sonewandcrispthatitcrackledwitheverymovement，whilearoundthecollar，tiedinaneatknot，wasoneofMcTeague’slawntieswhichshehadappropriated。Hersleeveswerecarefullyrolledupalmosttohershoulders，andnothingcouldhavebeenmoredeliciousthanthesightofhersmallroundarms，whiteasmilk，movingbackandforthasshespongedthetable-cover，afainttouchofpinkcomingandgoingattheelbowsastheybentandstraightened。Shelookedupquicklyasherhusbandentered，hernarroweyesalight，heradorablelittlechinintheair；herlipsroundedandopenedwiththelastwordsofhersong，sothatonecouldcatchaglintofgoldinthefillingsofherupperteeth。

Thewholescene——thecleankitchenanditscleanbrickfloor；thesmellofcoffeethatlingeredintheair；Trinaherself，freshasiffromabath，andsingingatherwork；

them