Trinawouldjumpwithastifledshriek。McTeaguewouldbellowwithlaughtertillhiseyeswatered。Thentheywouldrecommenceupontheinstant，Trinaprotestingwithanervoustremulousness：
　　“Now——now——now，Mac，DON’T；youSCAREmeso。“
　　Butthesedelicioustete-a-teteswithTrinawereoffsetbyacertaincoolnessthatMarcusSchoulerbegantoaffecttowardsthedentist。AtfirstMcTeaguewasunawareofit；butbythistimeevenhisslowwitsbegantoperceivethathisbestfriend——his“pal“——wasnotthesametohimasformerly。TheycontinuedtomeetatlunchnearlyeverydaybutFridayatthecarconductors’coffee-joint。ButMarcuswassulky；therecouldbenodoubtaboutthat。HeavoidedtalkingtoMcTeague，readthepapercontinually，answeringthedentist’stimideffortsatconversationingruffmonosyllables。Sometimes，even，heturnedsidewaystothetableandtalkedatgreatlengthtoHeisetheharness-maker，whosetablewasnexttotheirs。TheytooknomorelongwalkstogetherwhenMarcuswentouttoexercisethedogs。
　　NordidMarcuseveragainrecurtohisgenerosityinrenouncingTrina。
　　OneTuesday，asMcTeaguetookhisplaceatthetableinthecoffee-joint，hefoundMarcusalreadythere。
　　“Hello，Mark，“saidthedentist，“youherealready？“
　　“Hello，“returnedtheother，indifferently，helpinghimselftotomatocatsup。Therewasasilence。AfteralongwhileMarcussuddenlylookedup。
　　“Say，Mac，“heexclaimed，“whenyougoingtopaymethatmoneyyouoweme？“
　　McTeaguewasastonished。
　　“Huh？What？Idon’t——doIoweyouanymoney，Mark？“
　　“Well，youowemefourbits，“returnedMarcus，doggedly。“I
　　paidforyouandTrinathatdayatthepicnic，andyounevergaveitback。“
　　“Oh——oh！“answeredMcTeague，indistress。“That’sso，that’sso。I——yououghttohavetoldmebefore。Here’syourmoney，andI’mobligedtoyou。“
　　“Itain’tmuch，“observedMarcus，sullenly。“ButIneedallIcangetnow-a-days。“
　　“Areyou——areyoubroke？“inquiredMcTeague。
　　“AndIain’tsayinganythingaboutyoursleepingatthehospitalthatnight，either，“mutteredMarcus，ashepocketedthecoin。
　　“Well——well——doyoumean——shouldIhavepaidforthat？“
　　“Well，you’d’a’hadtosleepSOMEWHERES，wouldn’tyou？“flashedoutMarcus。“You’a’hadtopayhalfadollarforabedattheflat。“
　　“Allright，allright，“criedthedentist，hastily，feelinginhispockets。“Idon’twantyoushouldbeoutanythingonmyaccount，oldman。Here，willfourbitsdo？“
　　“Idon’tWANTyourdamnmoney，“shoutedMarcusinasuddenrage，throwingbackthecoin。“Iain’tnobeggar。“
　　McTeaguewasmiserable。Howhadheoffendedhispal？
　　“Well，Iwantyoushouldtakeit，Mark，“hesaid，pushingittowardshim。
　　“ItellyouIwon’ttouchyourmoney，“exclaimedtheotherthroughhisclenchedteeth，whitewithpassion。“I’vebeenplayedforasuckerlongenough。“
　　“What’sthematterwithyoulately，Mark？“remonstratedMcTeague。“You’vegotagrouchaboutsomething。IsthereanythingI’vedone？“
　　“Well，that’sallright，that’sallright，“returnedMarcusasherosefromthetable。“That’sallright。I’vebeenplayedforasuckerlongenough，that’sall。I’vebeenplayedforasuckerlongenough。“Hewentawaywithapartingmalevolentglance。
　　AtthecornerofPolkStreet，betweentheflatandthecarconductors’coffee-joint，wasFrenna’s。Itwasacornergrocery；advertisementsforcheapbutterandeggs，paintedingreenmarking-inkuponwrappingpaper，stoodaboutonthesidewalkoutside。ThedoorwaywasdecoratedwithahugeMilwaukeebeersign。Backofthestoreproperwasabarwherewhitesandcoveredthefloor。Afewtablesandchairswerescatteredhereandthere。Thewallswerehungwithgorgeously-coloredtobaccoadvertisementsandcoloredlithographsoftrottinghorses。Onthewallbehindthebarwasamodelofafull-riggedshipenclosedinabottle。
　　ItwasatthisplacethatthedentistusedtoleavehispitchertobefilledonSundayafternoons。SincehisengagementtoTrinahehaddiscontinuedthishabit。
　　However，hestilldroppedintoFrenna’soneortwonightsintheweek。Hespentapleasanthourthere，smokinghishugeporcelainpipeanddrinkinghisbeer。Heneverjoinedanyofthegroupsofpiquetplayersaroundthetables。Infact，hehardlyspoketoanyonebutthebartenderandMarcus。
　　ForFrenna’swasoneofMarcusSchouler’shaunts；agreatdealofhistimewasspentthere。HeinvolvedhimselfinfearfulpoliticalandsocialdiscussionswithHeisetheharness-maker，andwithoneortwooldGerman，habituesoftheplace。ThesediscussionsMarcuscarriedon，aswashiscustom，atthetopofhisvoice，gesticulatingfiercely，bangingthetablewithhisfists，brandishingtheplatesandglasses，excitinghimselfwithhisownclamor。
　　OnacertainSaturdayevening，afewdaysafterthesceneatthecoffee-joint，thedentistbethoughthimtospendaquieteveningatFrenna’s。Hehadnotbeenthereforsometime，and，besidesthat，itoccurredtohimthatthedaywashisbirthday。Hewouldpermithimselfanextrapipeandafewglassesofbeer。WhenMcTeagueenteredFrenna’sbackroombythestreetdoor，hefoundMarcusandHeisealreadyinstalledatoneofthetables。TwoorthreeoftheoldGermanssatoppositethem，gulpingtheirbeerfromtimetotime。Heisewassmokingacigar，butMarcushadbeforehimhisfourthwhiskeycocktail。AtthemomentofMcTeague’sentranceMarcushadthefloor。
　　“Itcan’tbeproven，“hewasyelling。“Idefyanysanepoliticianwhoseeyesarenotblindedbypartyprejudices，whoseopinionsarenotwarpedbyapersonalbias，tosubstantiatesuchastatement。Lookatyourfacts，lookatyourfigures。IamafreeAmericancitizen，ain’tI？Ipaymytaxestosupportagoodgovernment，don’tI？It’sacontractbetweenmeandthegovernment，ain’tit？Well，then，bydamn！iftheauthoritiesdonotorwillnotaffordmeprotectionforlife，liberty，andthepursuitofhappiness，thenmyobligationsareatanend；Iwithholdmytaxes。Ido——Ido——IsayIdo。What？“Heglaredabouthim，seekingopposition。
　　“That’snonsense，“observedHeise，quietly。“Tryitonce；you’llgetjugged。“Butthisobservationoftheharness-maker’srousedMarcustothelastpitchoffrenzy。
　　“Yes，ah，yes！“heshouted，risingtohisfeet，shakinghisfingerintheother’sface。“Yes，I’dgotojail；butbecauseI——Iamcrushedbyatyranny，doesthatmakethetyrannyright？Doesmightmakeright？“
　　“Youmustmakelessnoiseinhere，MisterSchouler，“saidFrenna，frombehindthebar。
　　“Well，itmakesmemad，“answeredMarcus，subsidingintoagrowlandresuminghischair。“Hullo，Mac。“
　　“Hullo，Mark。“
　　ButMcTeague’spresencemadeMarcusuneasy，rousinginhimatonceasenseofwrong。Hetwistedtoandfroinhischair，shruggingfirstoneshoulderandthenanother。
　　Quarrelsomeatalltimes，theheatofthepreviousdiscussionhadawakenedwithinhimallhisnaturalcombativeness。Besidesthis，hewasdrinkinghisfourthcocktail。
　　McTeaguebeganfillinghisbigporcelainpipe。Helitit，blewagreatcloudofsmokeintotheroom，andsettledhimselfcomfortablyinhischair。Thesmokeofhischeaptobaccodriftedintothefacesofthegroupattheadjoiningtable，andMarcusstrangledandcoughed。Instantlyhiseyesflamed。
　　“Say，forGod’ssake，“hevociferated，“chokeoffonthatpipe！Ifyou’vegottosmokeropelikethat，smokeitinacrowdofmuckers；don’tcomehereamongstgentlemen。“
　　“Shutup，Schouler！“observedHeiseinalowvoice。
　　McTeaguewasstunnedbythesuddennessoftheattack。Hetookhispipefromhismouth，andstaredblanklyatMarcus；
　　hislipsmoved，buthesaidnoword。Marcusturnedhisbackonhim，andthedentistresumedhispipe。
　　ButMarcuswasfarfrombeingappeased。McTeaguecouldnothearthetalkthatfollowedbetweenhimandtheharness-
　　maker，butitseemedtohimthatMarcuswastellingHeiseofsomeinjury，somegrievance，andthatthelatterwastryingtopacifyhim。Allatoncetheirtalkgrewlouder。Heiselaidaretaininghanduponhiscompanion’scoatsleeve，butMarcusswunghimselfaroundinhischair，and，fixinghiseyesonMcTeague，criedasifinanswertosomeprotestationonthepartofHeise：
　　“AllIknowisthatI’vebeensoldieredoutoffivethousanddollars。“
　　McTeaguegapedathim，bewildered。Heremovedhispipefromhismouthasecondtime，andstaredatMarcuswitheyesfulloftroubleandperplexity。
　　“IfIhadmyrights，“criedMarcus，bitterly，“I’dhavepartofthatmoney。It’smydue——it’sonlyjustice。“Thedentiststillkeptsilence。
　　“Ifithadn’tbeenforme，“Marcuscontinued，addressinghimselfdirectlytoMcTeague，“youwouldn’thavehadacentofit——no，notacent。Where’smyshare，I’dliketoknow？
　　WheredoIcomein？No，Iain’tinitanymore。I’vebeenplayedforasucker，an’nowthatyou’vegotallyoucanoutofme，nowthatyou’vedonemeoutofmygirlandoutofmymoney，yougivemethego-by。Why，wherewouldyouhavebeenTO-DAYifithadn’tbeenforme？“Marcusshoutedinasuddenexasperation，“You’dabeenpluggingteethattwobitsanhour。Ain’tyougotanygratitude？Ain’tyougotanysenseofdecency？“
　　“Ah，holdup，Schouler，“grumbledHeise。“Youdon’twanttogetintoarow。“
　　“No，Idon’t，Heise，“returnedMarcus，withaplaintive，aggrievedair。“Butit’stoomuchsometimeswhenyouthinkofit。Hestoleawaymygirl’saffections，andnowthathe’srichandprosperous，andhasgotfivethousanddollarsthatImighthavehad，hegivesmethego-by；he’splayedmeforasucker。Lookhere，“hecried，turningagaintoMcTeague，“doIgetanyofthatmoney？“
　　“Itain’tminetogive，“answeredMcTeague。“You’redrunk，that’swhatyouare。“
　　“DoIgetanyofthatmoney？“criedMarcus，persistently。
　　Thedentistshookhishead。“No，youdon’tgetanyofit。“
　　“Now——NOW，“clamoredtheother，turningtotheharness-
　　maker，asthoughthisexplainedeverything。“Lookatthat，lookatthat。Well，I’vedonewithyoufromnowon。“
　　Marcushadrisentohisfeetbythistimeandmadeasiftoleave，butateveryinstanthecameback，shoutinghisphrasesintoMcTeague’sface，movingoffagainashespokethelastwords，inordertogivethembettereffect。
　　“Thissettlesitrighthere。I’vedonewithyou。Don’tyoueverdarespeaktomeagain“——hisvoicewasshakingwithfury——“anddon’tyousitatmytableintherestaurantagain。I’msorryIeverloweredmyselftokeepcompanywithsuchdirt。Ah，one-horsedentist！Ah，ten-centzinc-
　　plugger——hoodlum——MUCKER！Getyourdamnsmokeoutamyface。“