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！“