“ThinkILLofyou？“criedOldGrannis，“thinkILLofyou？Why，youdon’tknow——youhavenoidea——alltheseyears——livingsoclosetoyou，I——I——“hepausedsuddenly。
　　Itseemedtohimasifthebeatingofhisheartwaschokinghim。
　　“Ithoughtyouwerebindingyourbooksto-night，“saidMissBaker，suddenly，“andyoulookedtired。IthoughtyoulookedtiredwhenIlastsawyou，andacupoftea，youknow，it——that——thatdoesyousomuchgoodwhenyou’retired。Butyouweren’tbindingbooks。“
　　“No，no，“returnedOldGrannis，drawingupachairandsittingdown。“No，I——thefactis，I’vesoldmyapparatus；
　　afirmofbooksellershasboughttherightsofit。“
　　“Andaren’tyougoingtobindbooksanymore？“exclaimedthelittledressmaker，ashadeofdisappointmentinhermanner。
　　“Ithoughtyoualwaysdidaboutfouro’clock。IusedtohearyouwhenIwasmakingtea。“
　　IthardlyseemedpossibletoMissBakerthatshewasactuallytalkingtoOldGrannis，thatthetwowerereallychattingtogether，facetoface，andwithoutthedreadfulembarrassmentthatusedtooverwhelmthembothwhentheymetonthestairs。Shehadoftendreamedofthis，buthadalwaysputitofftosomefar-distantday。Itwastocomegradually，littlebylittle，insteadof，asnow，abruptlyandwithnopreparation。Thatsheshouldpermitherselftheindiscretionofactuallyintrudingherselfintohisroomhadneversomuchasoccurredtoher。Yethereshewas，IN
　　HISROOM，andtheyweretalkingtogether，andlittlebylittleherembarrassmentwaswearingaway。
　　“Yes，yes，Ialwaysheardyouwhenyouweremakingtea，“
　　returnedtheoldEnglishman；“Iheardtheteathings。ThenIusedtodrawmychairandmywork-tableclosetothewallonmyside，andsitthereandworkwhileyoudrankyourteajustontheotherside；andIusedtofeelveryneartoyouthen。Iusedtopassthewholeeveningthatway。“
　　“And，yes——yes——Ididtoo，“sheanswered。“Iusedtomaketeajustatthattimeandsitthereforawholehour。“
　　“Anddidn’tyousitclosetothepartitiononyourside？
　　SometimesIwassureofit。IcouldevenfancythatIcouldhearyourdressbrushingagainstthewall-paperclosebesideme。Didn’tyousitclosetothepartition？“
　　“I——Idon’tknowwhereIsat。“
　　OldGrannisshylyputouthishandandtookhersasitlayuponherlap。
　　“Didn’tyousitclosetothepartitiononyourside？“heinsisted。
　　“No——Idon’tknow——perhaps——sometimes。Oh，yes，“sheexclaimed，withalittlegasp，“Oh，yes，Ioftendid。“
　　ThenOldGrannisputhisarmabouther，andkissedherfadedcheek，thatflushedtopinkupontheinstant。
　　Afterthattheyspokebutlittle。Thedaylapsedslowlyintotwilight，andthetwooldpeoplesatthereinthegrayevening，quietly，quietly，theirhandsineachother’shands，“keepingcompany，“butnowwithnothingtoseparatethem。Ithadcomeatlast。Afteralltheseyearstheyweretogether；theyunderstoodeachother。TheystoodatlengthinalittleElysiumoftheirowncreating。Theywalkedhandinhandinadeliciousgardenwhereitwasalwaysautumn。Farfromtheworldandtogethertheyentereduponthelongretardedromanceoftheircommonplaceanduneventfullives。
　　CHAPTER18
　　ThatsamenightMcTeaguewasawakenedbyashrillscream，andwoketofindTrina’sarmsaroundhisneck。Shewastremblingsothatthebed-springscreaked。
　　“Huh？“criedthedentist，sittingupinbed，raisinghisclinchedfists。“Huh？What？What？Whatisit？Whatisit？“
　　“Oh，Mac，“gaspedhiswife，“Ihadsuchanawfuldream。I
　　dreamedaboutMaria。Ithoughtshewaschasingme，andI
　　couldn’trun，andherthroatwas——Oh，shewasallcoveredwithblood。Oh-h，Iamsofrightened！“
　　Trinahadborneupverywellforthefirstdayorsoaftertheaffair，andhadgivenhertestimonytothecoronerwithfargreatercalmnessthanHeise。Itwasonlyaweeklaterthatthehorrorofthethingcameuponheragain。Shewassonervousthatshehardlydaredtobealoneinthedaytime，andalmosteverynightwokewithacryofterror，tremblingwiththerecollectionofsomedreadfulnightmare。Thedentistwasirritatedbeyondallexpressionbyhernervousness，andespeciallywasheexasperatedwhenhercrieswokehimsuddenlyinthemiddleofthenight。Hewouldsitupinbed，rollinghiseyeswildly，throwingouthishugefists——atwhat，hedidnotknow——exclaiming，“Whatwhat——“bewilderedandhopelesslyconfused。ThenwhenherealizedthatitwasonlyTrina，hisangerkindledabruptly。
　　“Oh，youandyourdreams！Yougotosleep，orI’llgiveyouadressingdown。“Sometimeshewouldhitheragreatthwackwithhisopenpalm，orcatchherhandandbitethetipsofherfingers。Trinawouldlieawakeforhoursafterward，cryingsoftlytoherself。Then，byandby，“Mac，“shewouldsaytimidly。
　　“Huh？“
　　“Mac，doyouloveme？“
　　“Huh？What？Gotosleep。“
　　“Don’tyoulovemeanymore，Mac？“
　　“Oh，gotosleep。Don’tbotherme。“
　　“Well，doyouLOVEme，Mac？“
　　“Iguessso。“
　　“Oh，Mac，I’veonlyyounow，andifyoudon’tloveme，whatisgoingtobecomeofme？“
　　“Shutup，an’letmegotosleep。“
　　“Well，justtellmethatyouloveme。“
　　Thedentistwouldturnabruptlyawayfromher，buryinghisbigblondheadinthepillow，andcoveringuphisearswiththeblankets。ThenTrinawouldsobherselftosleep。
　　Thedentisthadlongsincegivenuplookingforajob。
　　BetweenbreakfastandsuppertimeTrinasawbutlittleofhim。Oncethemorningmealover，McTeaguebestirredhimself，putonhiscap——hehadgivenupwearingevenahatsincehiswifehadmadehimsellhissilkhat——andwentout。
　　Hehadfallenintothehabitoftakinglongandsolitarywalksbeyondthesuburbsofthecity。SometimesitwastotheCliffHouse，occasionallytotheParkwherehewouldsitonthesun-warmedbenches，smokinghispipeandreadingraggedendsofoldnewspapers，butmoreoftenitwastothePresidioReservation。McTeaguewouldwalkouttotheendoftheUnionStreetcarline，enteringtheReservationattheterminus，thenhewouldworkdowntotheshoreofthebay，followtheshorelinetotheOldFortattheGoldenGate，and，turningthePointhere，comeoutsuddenlyuponthefullsweepofthePacific。Thenhewouldfollowthebeachdowntoacertainpointofrocksthatheknew。Herehewouldturninland，climbingthebluffstoarollinggrassydownsownwithblueirisandayellowflowerthathedidnotknowthenameof。Onthefarsideofthisdownwasabroad，well-keptroad。McTeaguewouldkeeptothisroaduntilhereachedthecityagainbythewayoftheSacramentoStreetcarline。Thedentistlovedthesewalks。Helikedtobealone。Helikedthesolitudeofthetremendous，tumblingocean；thefresh，windydowns；helikedtofeelthegustyTradesflogginghisface，andhewouldremainforhourswatchingtherollandplungeofthebreakerswiththesilent，unreasonedenjoymentofachild。Allatoncehedevelopedapassionforfishing。Hewouldsitalldaynearlymotionlessuponapointofrocks，hisfish-linebetweenhisfingers，happyifhecaughtthreeperchintwelvehours。Atnoonhewouldretiretoabitoflevelturfaroundanangleoftheshoreandcookhisfish，eatingthemwithoutsaltorknifeorfork。Hethrustapointedstickdownthemouthoftheperch，andturneditslowlyovertheblaze。Whenthegreasestoppeddripping，heknewthatitwasdone，andwoulddevouritslowlyandwithtremendousrelish，pickingthebonesclean，eatingeventhehead。HerememberedhowoftenheusedtodothissortofthingwhenhewasaboyinthemountainsofPlacerCounty，beforehebecameacar-boyatthemine。Thedentistenjoyedhimselfhugelyduringthesedays。Theinstinctsoftheold-timeminerwerereturning。InthestressofhismisfortuneMcTeaguewaslapsingbacktohisearlyestate。
　　Oneeveningashereachedhomeaftersuchatramp，hewassurprisedtofindTrinastandinginfrontofwhathadbeenZerkow’shouse，lookingatitthoughtfully，herfingeronherlips。
　　“Whatyoudoinghere’？“growledthedentistashecameup。
　　Therewasa“Rooms-to-let“signonthestreetdoorofthehouse。
　　“Nowwe’vefoundaplacetomoveto，“exclaimedTrina。
　　“What？“criedMcTeague。“There，inthatdirtyhouse，whereyoufoundMaria？“
　　“Ican’taffordthatroomintheflatanymore，nowthatyoucan’tgetanyworktodo。“
　　“Butthere’swhereZerkowkilledMaria——theveryhouse——an’youwakeupan’squealinthenightjustthinkingofit。“
　　“Iknow。Iknowitwillbebadatfirst，butI’llgetusedtoit，an’it’sjusthalfagainascheapaswherewearenow。Iwaslookingataroom；wecanhaveitdirtcheap。
　　It’sabackroomoverthekitchen。AGermanfamilyaregoingtotakethefrontpartofthehouseandsublettherest。I’mgoingtotakeit。It’llbemoneyinmypocket。“
　　“Butitwon’tbeanyinmine，“vociferatedthedentist，angrily。“I’llhavetoliveinthatdirtyratholejustso’syoucansavemoney。Iain’tanythebetteroffforit。“
　　“Findworktodo，andthenwe’lltalk，“declaredTrina。
　　“I’Mgoingtosaveupsomemoneyagainstarainyday；andifIcansavemorebylivinghereI’mgoingtodoit，evenifitisthehouseMariawaskilledin。Idon’tcare。“