Theydrankandfeastedinimpromptufashion。MarcusSchoulerassumedtheofficeofmasterofceremonies；hewasinalatherofexcitement，rushingabouthereandthere，openingbeerbottles，servingthetamales，slappingMcTeagueupontheback，laughingandjokingcontinually。HemadeMcTeaguesitattheheadofthetable，withTrinaathisrightandtheagentathisleft；he——whenhesatdownatall——occupiedthefoot，MariaMacapaathisleft，whilenexttoherwasMrs。Sieppe，oppositeMissBaker。Owgoostehadbeenputtobeduponthebed-lounge。
　　“Where’sOldGrannis？“suddenlyexclaimedMarcus。Sureenough，wherehadtheoldEnglishmangone？Hehadbeenthereatfirst。
　　“Icalledhimdownwitheverybodyelse，“criedMariaMacapa，“assoonasIsawinthepaperthatMissSieppehadwon。WeallcamedowntoMr。Schouler’sroomandwaitedforyoutocomehome。Ithinkhemusthavegonebacktohisroom。
　　I’llbetyou’llfindhimsewinguphisbooks。“
　　“No，no，“observedMissBaker，“notatthishour。“
　　Evidentlythetimidoldgentlemanhadtakenadvantageoftheconfusiontoslipunobtrusivelyaway。
　　“I’llgobringhimdown，“shoutedMarcus；“he’sgottojoinus。“
　　MissBakerwasingreatagitation。
　　“I——Ihardlythinkyou’dbetter，“shemurmured；“he——he——I
　　don’tthinkhedrinksbeer。“
　　“Hetakeshisamusementinsewin’upbooks，“criedMaria。
　　Marcusbroughthimdown，nevertheless，havingfoundhimjustpreparingforbed。
　　“I——Imustapologize，“stammeredOldGrannis，ashestoodinthedoorway。“Ihadnotquiteexpected——I——find——
　　findmyselfalittleunprepared。“Hewaswithoutcollarandcravat，owingtoMarcusSchouler’sprecipitatehaste。HewasannoyedbeyondwordsthatMissBakersawhimthus。
　　Couldanythingbemoreembarrassing？
　　OldGranniswasintroducedtoMrs。SieppeandtoTrinaasMarcus’semployer。Theyshookhandssolemnly。
　　“Idon’tbelievethathean’MissBakerhaveeverbeenintroduced，“criedMariaMacapa，shrilly，“an’they’vebeenlivin’sidebysideforyears。“
　　Thetwooldpeoplewerespeechless，avoidingeachother’sgaze。Ithadcomeatlast；theyweretoknoweachother，totalktogether，totoucheachother’shands。
　　MarcusbroughtOldGrannisaroundthetabletolittleMissBaker，dragginghimbythecoatsleeve，exclaiming：“Well，I
　　thoughtyoutwopeoplekneweachotherlongago。MissBaker，thisisMr。Grannis；Mr。Grannis，thisisMissBaker。“Neitherspoke。Liketwolittlechildrentheyfacedeachother，awkward，constrained，tongue-tiedwithembarrassment。ThenMissBakerputoutherhandshyly。OldGrannistoucheditforaninstantandletitfall。
　　“Nowyouknoweachother，“criedMarcus，“andit’sabouttime。“Forthefirsttimetheireyesmet；OldGrannistrembledalittle，puttinghishanduncertainlytohischin。
　　MissBakerflushedeversoslightly，butMariaMacapapassedsuddenlybetweenthem，carryingahalfemptybeerbottle。
　　Thetwooldpeoplefellbackfromoneanother，MissBakerresumingherseat。
　　“Here’saplaceforyouoverhere，Mr。Grannis，“criedMarcus，makingroomforhimathisside。OldGrannisslippedintothechair，withdrawingatoncefromthecompany’snotice。Hestaredfixedlyathisplateanddidnotspeakagain。OldMissBakerbegantotalkvolublyacrossthetabletoMrs。Sieppeabouthot-houseflowersandmedicatedflannels。
　　ItwasinthemidstofthislittleimpromptusupperthattheengagementofTrinaandthedentistwasannounced。InapauseinthechatterofconversationMrs。Sieppeleanedforwardand，speakingtotheagent，said：
　　“Vell，youknowalsomydaughterTrinagetmarriedbrettysoon。Sheandderdentist，DoktorMcTeague，eh，yes？“
　　Therewasageneralexclamation。
　　“Ithoughtsoallalong，“criedMissBaker，excitedly。“ThefirsttimeIsawthemtogetherIsaid，’Whatapair！’“
　　“Delightful！“exclaimedtheagent，“tobemarriedandwinasnuglittlefortuneatthesametime。“
　　“So——So，“murmuredOldGrannis，noddingathisplate。
　　“Goodlucktoyou，“criedMaria。
　　“He’sluckyenoughalready，“growledMarcusunderhisbreath，relapsingforamomentintooneofthosestrangemoodsofsullennesswhichhadmarkedhimthroughouttheevening。
　　Trinaflushedcrimson，drawingshylynearerhermother。
　　McTeaguegrinnedfromeartoear，lookingaroundfromonetoanother，exclaiming“Huh！Huh！“
　　Buttheagentrosetohisfeet，anewlyfilledbeerglassinhishand。Hewasamanoftheworld，thisagent。Heknewlife。Hewassuaveandeasy。Adiamondwasonhislittlefinger。
　　“Ladiesandgentlemen，“hebegan。Therewasaninstantsilence。“Thisisindeedahappyoccasion。I——Iamgladtobehereto-night；tobeawitnesstosuchgoodfortune；topartakeinthese——inthiscelebration。Why，IfeelalmostasgladasifIhadheldfourthreeoughtstwelvemyself；asifthefivethousandweremineinsteadofbelongingtoourcharminghostess。ThegoodwishesofmyhumbleselfgoouttoMissSieppeinthismomentofhergoodfortune，andI
　　think——infact，IamsureIcanspeakforthegreatinstitution，thegreatcompanyIrepresent。ThecompanycongratulatesMissSieppe。We——they——ah——Theywishhereveryhappinesshernewfortunecanprocureher。Ithasbeenmyduty，my——ah——cheerfuldutytocalluponthewinnersoflargeprizesandtoofferthefelicitationofthecompany。
　　Ihave，inmyexperience，calleduponmanysuch；butneverhaveIseenfortunesohappilybestowedasinthiscase。
　　Thecompanyhavedoweredtheprospectivebride。IamsureIbutechothesentimentsofthisassemblywhenIwishalljoyandhappinesstothishappypair，happyinthepossessionofasnuglittlefortune，andhappy——happyin——“
　　hefinishedwithasuddeninspiration——“inthepossessionofeachother；Idrinktothehealth，wealth，andhappinessofthefuturebrideandgroom。Letusdrinkstandingup。“
　　Theydrankwithenthusiasm。Marcuswascarriedawaywiththeexcitementofthemoment。
　　“Outasight，outasight，“hevociferated，clappinghishands。“Verywellsaid。Tothehealthofthebride。
　　McTeague，McTeague，speech，speech！“
　　Inaninstantthewholetablewasclamoringforthedentisttospeak。McTeaguewasterrified；hegrippedthetablewithbothhands，lookingwildlyabouthim。
　　“Speech，speech！“shoutedMarcus，runningaroundthetableandendeavoringtodragMcTeagueup。
　　“No——no——no，“mutteredtheother。“Nospeech。“Thecompanyrattleduponthetablewiththeirbeerglasses，insistinguponaspeech。McTeaguesettledobstinatelyintohischair，veryredintheface，shakinghisheadenergetically。
　　“Ah，goon！“heexclaimed；“nospeech。“
　　“Ah，getupandsaysomethun，anyhow，“persistedMarcus；
　　“yououghttodoit。It’sthepropercaper。“
　　McTeagueheavedhimselfup；therewasaburstofapplause；
　　helookedslowlyabouthim，thensuddenlysatdownagain，shakinghisheadhopelessly。
　　“Oh，goon，Mac，“criedTrina。
　　“Getup，saysomethun，anyhow，criedMarcus，tuggingathisarm；“youGOTto。“
　　OncemoreMcTeaguerosetohisfeet。
　　“Huh！“heexclaimed，lookingsteadilyatthetable。Thenhebegan：
　　“Idon’knowwhattosay——I——I——Iain’tnevermadeaspeechbefore；I——Iain’tnevermadeaspeechbefore。ButI’mgladTrina’swontheprize——“
　　“Yes，I’llbetyouare，“mutteredMarcus。
　　“I——I——I’mgladTrina’swon，andI——Iwantto——Iwantto——Iwantto——wanttosaythat——you’re——all——welcome，an’
　　drinkhearty，an’I’mmuchobligedtotheagent。TrinaandIaregoin’tobemarried，an’I’mgladeverybody’shereto-
　　night，an’you’re——all——welcome，an’drinkhearty，an’I
　　hopeyou’llcomeagain，an’you’realwayswelcome——an’——I——
　　an’——an’——That’s——about——all——I——gottasay。“Hesatdown，wipinghisforehead，amidsttremendousapplause。
　　Soonafterthatthecompanypushedbackfromthetableandrelaxedintocouplesandgroups。Themen，withtheexceptionofOldGrannis，begantosmoke，thesmelloftheirtobaccominglingwiththeodorsofether，creosote，andstalebedding，whichpervadedthe“Parlors。“Soonthewindowshadtobeloweredfromthetop。Mrs。SieppeandoldMissBakersattogetherinthebaywindowexchangingconfidences。MissBakerhadturnedbacktheoverskirtofherdress；aplateofcakewasinherlap；fromtimetotimeshesippedherwinewiththedelicacyofawhitecat。Thetwowomenweremuchinterestedineachother。MissBakertoldMrs。SieppeallaboutOldGrannis，notforgettingthefictionofthetitleandtheunjuststepfather。
　　“He’squiteapersonagereally，“saidMissBaker。
　　Mrs。Sieppeledtheconversationaroundtoherchildren。
　　“Ach，Trinaissudgeagootegirl，“shesaid；“alwaysgay，yes，undsingfrommorgentonight。UndOwgooste，heissohsmartalso，yes，eh？Hehasdergeniusformachines，alwaysmakingsomethunmitwheelsundsbrings。“
　　“Ah，if——if——Ihadchildren，“murmuredthelittleoldmaidatriflewistfully，“onewouldhavebeenasailor；hewouldhavebegunasamidshipmanonmybrother’sship；intimehewouldhavebeenanofficer。Theotherwouldhavebeenalandscapegardener。“
　　“Oh，Mac！“exclaimedTrina，lookingupintothedentist’sface，“thinkofallthismoneycomingtousjustatthisverymoment。Isn’titwonderful？Don’titkindofscareyou？“
　　“Wonderful，wonderful！“mutteredMcTeague，shakinghishead。
　　“Let’sbuyalotoftickets，“headded，struckwithanidea。
　　“Now，that’showyoucanalwaystellagoodcigar，“