occupation，suddenlyseizedwithagreatembarrassment，thetimidityofasecondchildhood。Hewentonabouthisbusiness，disturbedandthoughtful。Shehurrieduptohertinyroom，hercuriouslittlefalsecurlsshakingwithheragitation，thefaintestsuggestionofaflushcomingandgoinginherwitheredcheeks。Theemotionofoneofthesechancemeetingsremainedwiththemduringalltherestoftheday。

Wasitthefirstromanceinthelivesofeach？DidOldGranniseverrememberacertainfaceamongstthosethathehadknownwhenhewasyoungGrannis——thefaceofsomepale-

hairedgirl，suchasoneseesintheoldcathedraltownsofEngland？DidMissBakerstilltreasureupinaseldomopeneddrawerorboxsomefadeddaguerreotype，somestrangeold-fashionedlikeness，withitscurlinghairandhighstock？Itwasimpossibletosay。

MariaMacapa，theMexicanwomanwhotookcareofthelodgers’rooms，hadbeenthefirsttocalltheflat’sattentiontotheaffair，spreadingthenewsofitfromroomtoroom，fromfloortofloor。Oflateshehadmadeagreatdiscovery；allthewomenfolkoftheflatwereyetvibrantwithit。OldGranniscamehomefromhisworkatfouro’clock，andbetweenthattimeandsixMissBakerwouldsitinherroom，herhandsidleinherlap，doingnothing，listening，waiting。OldGrannisdidthesame，drawinghisarm-chairneartothewall，knowingthatMissBakerwasupontheotherside，conscious，perhaps，thatshewasthinkingofhim；andtherethetwowouldsitthroughthehoursoftheafternoon，listeningandwaiting，theydidnotknowexactlyforwhat，butneartoeachother，separatedonlybythethinpartitionoftheirrooms。Theyhadcometoknoweachother’shabits。OldGrannisknewthatatquarteroffivepreciselyMissBakermadeacupofteaovertheoilstoveonthestandbetweenthebureauandthewindow。MissBakerfeltinstinctivelytheexactmomentwhenOldGrannistookdownhislittlebindingapparatusfromthesecondshelfofhisclothesclosetandbeganhisfavoriteoccupationofbindingpamphlets——pamphletsthatheneverread，forallthat。

Inhis“Parlors“McTeaguebeganhisweek’swork。Heglancedintheglasssaucerinwhichhekepthissponge-gold，andnoticingthathehadusedupallhispellets，setaboutmakingsomemore。InexaminingMissBaker’steethatthepreliminarysittinghehadfoundacavityinoneoftheincisors。MissBakerhaddecidedtohaveitfilledwithgold。McTeaguerememberednowthatitwaswhatiscalleda“proximatecase，“wherethereisnotsufficientroomtofillwithlargepiecesofgold。Hetoldhimselfthatheshouldhavetouse“mats“inthefilling。Hemadesomedozenofthese“mats“fromhistapeofnon-cohesivegold，cuttingittransverselyintosmallpiecesthatcouldbeinsertededgewisebetweentheteethandconsolidatedbypacking。

Afterhehadmadehis“mats“hecontinuedwiththeotherkindofgoldfillings，suchashewouldhaveoccasiontouseduringtheweek；“blocks“tobeusedinlargeproximalcavities，madebyfoldingthetapeonitselfanumberoftimesandthenshapingitwiththesolderingpliers；

“cylinders“forcommencingfillings，whichheformedbyrollingthetapearoundaneedlecalleda“broach，“cuttingitafterwardsintodifferentlengths。Heworkedslowly，mechanically，turningthefoilbetweenhisfingerswiththemanualdexteritythatonesometimesseesinstupidpersons。

Hisheadwasquiteemptyofallthought，andhedidnotwhistleoverhisworkasanothermanmighthavedone。Thecanarymadeupforhissilence，trillingandchitteringcontinually，splashingaboutinitsmorningbath，keepingupanincessantnoiseandmovementthatwouldhavebeenmaddeningtoanyonebutMcTeague，whoseemedtohavenonervesatall。

Afterhehadfinishedhisfillings，hemadeahookbroachfromabitofpianowiretoreplaceanoldonethathehadlost。Itwastimeforhisdinnerthen，andwhenhereturnedfromthecarconductors’coffee-joint，hefoundMissBakerwaitingforhim。

TheancientlittledressmakerwasatalltimeswillingtotalkofOldGrannistoanybodythatwouldlisten，quiteunconsciousofthegossipoftheflat。McTeaguefoundheralla-flutterwithexcitement。Somethingextraordinaryhadhappened。Shehadfoundoutthatthewall-paperinOldGrannis’sroomwasthesameasthatinhers。

“Ithasledmetothinking，DoctorMcTeague，“sheexclaimed，shakingherlittlefalsecurlsathim。“Youknowmyroomissosmall，anyhow，andthewall-paperbeingthesame——thepatternfrommyroomcontinuesrightintohis——Ideclare，I

believeatonetimethatwasalloneroom。Thinkofit，doyousupposeitwas？Italmostamountstoouroccupyingthesameroom。Idon’tknow——why，really——doyouthinkIshouldspeaktothelandladyaboutit？Heboundpamphletslastnightuntilhalf-pastnine。Theysaythathe’stheyoungersonofabaronet；thattherearereasonsforhisnotcomingtothetitle；hisstepfatherwrongedhimcruelly。“

Noonehadeversaidsuchathing。ItwaspreposteroustoimagineanymysteryconnectedwithOldGrannis。MissBakerhadchosentoinventthelittlefiction，hadcreatedthetitleandtheunjuststepfatherfromsomedimmemoriesofthenovelsofhergirlhood。

Shetookherplaceintheoperatingchair。McTeaguebeganthefilling。Therewasalongsilence。ItwasimpossibleforMcTeaguetoworkandtalkatthesametime。

Hewasjustburnishingthelast“mat“inMissBaker’stooth，whenthedoorofthe“Parlors“opened，janglingthebellwhichhehadhungoverit，andwhichwasabsolutelyunnecessary。McTeagueturned，onefootonthepedalofhisdentalengine，thecorundumdiskwhirlingbetweenhisfingers。

ItwasMarcusSchoulerwhocamein，usheringayounggirlofabouttwenty。

“Hello，Mac，“exclaimedMarcus；“busy？Broughtmycousinroundaboutthatbrokentooth。“

McTeaguenoddedhisheadgravely。

“Inaminute，“heanswered。

MarcusandhiscousinTrinasatdownintherigidchairsunderneaththesteelengravingoftheCourtofLorenzode’

Medici。Theybegantalkinginlowtones。Thegirllookedabouttheroom，noticingthestonepugdog，theriflemanufacturer’scalendar，thecanaryinitslittlegiltprison，andthetumbledblanketsontheunmadebed-loungeagainstthewall。MarcusbegantellingheraboutMcTeague。

“We’repals，“heexplained，justaboveawhisper。“Ah，Mac’sallright，youbet。Say，Trina，he’sthestrongestduckyoueversaw。Whatdoyousuppose？Hecanpulloutyourteethwithhisfingers；yes，hecan。Whatdoyouthinkofthat？Withhisfingers，mindyou；hecan，forafact。

Getontothesizeofhim，anyhow。Ah，Mac’sallright！“

MariaMacapahadcomeintotheroomwhilehehadbeenspeaking。ShewasmakingupMcTeague’sbed。SuddenlyMarcusexclaimedunderhisbreath：“Nowwe’llhavesomefun。It’sthegirlthattakescareoftherooms。She’sagreaser，andshe’squeerinthehead。Sheain’tregularlycrazy，butIdon’tknow，she’squeer。Y’oughttohearhergoonaboutagolddinnerserviceshesaysherfolksusedtoown。Askherwhathernameisandseewhatshe’llsay。“Trinashrankback，alittlefrightened。

“No，youask，“shewhispered。

“Ah，goon；whatyou’fraidof？“urgedMarcus。Trinashookherheadenergetically，shuttingherlipstogether。

“Well，listenhere，“answeredMarcus，nudgingher；thenraisinghisvoice，hesaid：

“Howdo，Maria？“Marianoddedtohimoverhershoulderasshebentoverthelounge。

“Workunhardnowadays，Maria？“

“Prettyhard。“

“Diduntalwayshavetoworkforyourliving，though，didyou，whenyouateoffagolddishes？“Mariadidn’tanswer，exceptbyputtingherchinintheairandshuttinghereyes，asthoughtosaysheknewalongstoryaboutthatifshehadamindtotalk。AllMarcus’seffortstodrawheroutonthesubjectwereunavailing。Sheonlyrespondedbymovementsofherhead。

“Can’talwaysstarthergoing，“Marcustoldhiscousin。

“Whatdoesshedo，though，whenyouaskherabouthername？“

“Oh，sure，“saidMarcus，whohadforgotten。“Say，Maria，what’syourname？“

“Huh？“askedMaria，straighteningup，herhandsonhehips。

“Tellusyourname，“repeatedMarcus。

“NameisMaria——Miranda——Macapa。“Then，afterapause，sheadded，asthoughshehadbutthatmomentthoughtofit，“Hadaflyingsquirrelan’lethimgo。“

InvariablyMariaMacapamadethisanswer。Itwasnotalwaysshewouldtalkaboutthefamousserviceofgoldplate，butaquestionastohernameneverfailedtoelicitthesamestrangeanswer，deliveredinarapidundertone：“NameisMaria——Miranda——Macapa。“Then，asifstruckwithanafterthought，“Hadaflyingsquirrelan’lethimgo。“

WhyMariashouldassociatethereleaseofthemythicalsquirrelwithhernamecouldnotbesaid。AboutMariatheflatknewabsolutelynothingfurtherthanthatshewasSpanish-American。MissBakerwastheoldestlodgerintheflat，andMariawasafixturethereasmaidofallworkwhenshehadcome。TherewasalegendtotheeffectthatMaria’speoplehadbeenatonetimeimmenselywealthyinCentralAmerica。

Mariaturnedagaintoherwork。TrinaandMarcuswatchedhercuriously。Therewasasilence。ThecorundumburrinMcTeague’senginehummedinaprolongedmonotone。Thecanarybirdchitteredoccasionally。Theroomwaswarm，andthebreathingofthefivepeopleinthenarrowspacemadetheaircloseandthick。Atlongintervalsanacridodorofinkfloatedupfromthebranchpost-officeimmediatelybelow。

MariaMacapafinishedherworkandstartedtoleave。AsshepassednearMarcusandhiscousinshestopped，anddrewabunchofblueticketsfurtivelyfromherpocket。“Buyaticketinthelottery？“sheinquired，lookingatthegirl。

“Justadollar。“

“Goalongwithyou，Maria，“saidMarcus，whohadbutthirtycentsinhispocket。“Goalong；it’sagainstthelaw。“

“Buyaticket，“urgedMaria，thrustingthebundletowardTrina。“Tryyourluck。Thebutcheronthenextblockwontwentydollarsthelastdrawing。“

Veryuneasy，Trinaboughtaticketforthesakeofbeingridofher。Mariadisappeared。

“Ain’tsheaqueerbird？“mutteredMarcus。HewasmuchembarrassedanddisturbedbecausehehadnotboughttheticketforTrina。

Buttherewasasuddenmovement。McTeaguehadjustfinishedwithMissBaker。

“Youshouldnotice，“thedressmakersaidtothedentist，inalowvoice，“healwaysleavesthedooralittleajarintheafternoon。“Whenshehadgoneout，MarcusSchoulerbroughtTrinaforward。

“Say，Mac，thisismycousin，TrinaSieppe。“Thetwoshookhandsdumbly，McTeagueslowlynoddinghishugeheadwithitsgreatshockofyellowhair。Trinawasverysmallandprettilymade。Herfacewasroundandratherpale；hereyeslongandnarrowandblue，likethehalf-openeyesofalittlebaby；herlipsandthelobesofhertinyearswerepale，alittlesuggestiveofanaemia；whileacrossthebridgeofhernoserananadorablelittlelineoffreckles。

Butitwastoherhairthatone’sattentionwasmostattracted。Heapsandheapsofblue-blackcoilsandbraids，aroyalcrownofswarthybands，averitablesabletiara，heavy，abundant，odorous。Allthevitalitythatshouldhavegivencolortoherfaceseemedtohavebeenabsorbedbythismarvelloushair。Itwasthecoiffureofaqueenthatshadowedthepaletemplesofthislittlebourgeoise。Soheavywasitthatittippedherheadbackward，andthepositionthrustherchinoutalittle。Itwasacharmingpoise，innocent，confiding，almostinfantile。

Shewasdressedallinblack，verymodestandplain。Theeffectofherpalefaceinallthiscontrastingblackwasalmostmonastic。

“Well，“exclaimedMarcussuddenly，“Igottogo。Mustgetbacktowork。Don’thurthertoomuch，Mac。S’long，Trina。“

McTeagueandTrinawereleftalone。Hewasembarrassed，troubled。Theseyounggirlsdisturbedandperplexedhim。

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