“It’smine，“persistedMcTeague。“Iwantit。“
　　“Go’longwithyou，Mac。Whatdoyoumean？“
　　“Imeanthatit’smine，that’swhatImean。Yougotnorighttoit。ItwasSTOLENfromme，that’swhatI
　　mean，“headded，asullenangerflamingupinhislittleeyes。
　　Theclerkraisedashoulderandputtheconcertinaonanuppershelf。
　　“Youtalktothebossaboutthat；t’ain’tnoneofmyaffair。
　　Ifyouwanttobuyit，it’selevendollars。“
　　Thedentisthadbeenpaidoffthedaybeforeandhadfourdollarsinhiswalletatthemoment。Hegavethemoneytotheclerk。
　　“Here，there’spartofthemoney。You——youputthatconcertinaasideforme，an’I’llgiveyoutherestinaweekorso——I’llgiveittoyoutomorrow，“heexclaimed，struckwithasuddenidea。
　　McTeaguehadsadlymissedhisconcertina。Sundayafternoonswhentherewasnoworktobedone，hewasaccustomedtolieflatonhisbackonhisspringlessbedinthelittleroomintherearofthemusicstore，hiscoatandshoesoff，readingthepaper，drinkingsteambeerfromapitcher，andsmokinghispipe。Buthecouldnolongerplayhissixlugubriousairsuponhisconcertina，anditwasadeprivation。Heoftenwonderedwhereitwasgone。Ithadbeenlost，nodoubt，inthegeneralwreckofhisfortunes。Once，even，thedentisthadtakenaconcertinafromthelotkeptbythemusicstore。ItwasaSundayandnoonewasabout。Buthefoundhecouldnotplayuponit。Thestopswerearrangeduponasystemhedidnotunderstand。
　　Nowhisownconcertinawascomebacktohim。Hewouldbuyitback。Hehadgiventheclerkfourdollars。Heknewwherehewouldgettheremainingseven。
　　TheclerkhadtoldhimtheconcertinahadbeensoldonPolkStreettothesecond-handstorethere。Trinahadsoldit。
　　McTeagueknewit。Trinahadsoldhisconcertina——hadstolenitandsoldit——hisconcertina，hisbelovedconcertina，thathehadhadallhislife。Why，barringthecanary，therewasnotoneofallhisbelongingsthatMcTeaguehadcherishedmoredearly。Hissteelengravingof“Lorenzode’MediciandhisCourt“mightbelost，hisstonepugdogmightgo，buthisconcertina！
　　“Andshesoldit——stoleitfrommeandsoldit。JustbecauseIhappenedtoforgettotakeitalongwithme。Well，we’lljustseeaboutthat。You’llgivemethemoneytobuyitback，or——“
　　Hisrageloomedbigwithinhim。HishatredofTrinacamebackuponhimlikeareturningsurge。Hesawhersmall，primmouth，hernarrowblueeyes，herblackmaneofhair，andup-tiltedchin，andhatedherthemorebecauseofthem。
　　Aha，he’dshowher；he’dmakeherdance。He’dgetthatsevendollarsfromher，orhe’dknowthereasonwhy。Hewentthroughhisworkthatday，heavingandhaulingattheponderouspianos，handlingthemwiththeeaseofaliftingcrane，impatientforthecomingofevening，whenhecouldbelefttohisowndevices。Asoftenashehadamomenttosparehewentdownthestreettothenearestsaloonanddrankaponyofwhiskey。Nowandthenashefoughtandstruggledwiththevastmassesofebony，rosewood，andmahoganyontheupperfloorofthemusicstore，ragingandchafingattheirinertnessandunwillingness，whilethewhiskeypirouettedinhisbrain，hewouldmuttertohimself：
　　“An’Igottodothis。Igottoworklikeadrayhorsewhileshesitsathomebyherstoveandcountshermoney——
　　andsellsmyconcertina。“
　　Sixo’clockcame。Insteadofsupper，McTeaguedranksomemorewhiskey，fiveponiesinrapidsuccession。AftersupperhewasobligedtogooutwiththedraytodeliveraconcertgrandattheOddFellows’Hall，whereapiano“recital“wastotakeplace。
　　“Ain’tyoucomingbackwithus？“askedoneofthehandlersasheclimbeduponthedriver’sseatafterthepianohadbeenputinplace。
　　“No，no，“returnedthedentist；“Igotsomethingelsetodo。“ThebrilliantlightsofasaloonneartheCityHallcaughthiseye。Hedecidedhewouldhaveanotherdrinkofwhiskey。Itwasabouteighto’clock。
　　Thefollowingdaywastobeafetedayatthekindergarten，theChristmasandNewYearfestivalscombined。
　　Allthatafternoonthelittletwo-storybuildingonPacificStreethadbeenfilledwithanumberofgrandladiesoftheKindergartenBoard，whowerehangingupropesofevergreenandspraysofholly，andarrangingagreatChristmastreethatstoodinthecentreoftheringintheschoolroom。Thewholeplacewaspervadedwithapungent，pineyodor。Trinahadbeenverybusysincetheearlymorning，comingandgoingateverybody’scall，nowrunningdownthestreetafteranothertack-hammerorafreshsupplyofcranberries，nowtyingtogethertheropesofevergreenandpassingthemuptooneofthegrandladiesasshecarefullybalancedherselfonastep-ladder。Byeveningeverythingwasinplace。Asthelastgrandladylefttheschool，shegaveTrinaanextradollarforherwork，andsaid：
　　“Now，ifyou’lljusttidyuphere，Mrs。McTeague，Ithinkthatwillbeall。Sweepupthepineneedleshere——youseetheyarealloverthefloor——andlookthroughalltherooms，andtidyupgenerally。Goodnight——andaHappyNewYear，“shecriedpleasantlyasshewentout。
　　Trinaputthedollarawayinhertrunkbeforeshedidanythingelseandcookedherselfabitofsupper。Thenshecamedownstairsagain。
　　Thekindergartenwasnotlarge。Onthelowerfloorwerebuttworooms，themainschoolroomandanotherroom，acloakroom，verysmall，wherethechildrenhungtheirhatsandcoats。Thiscloakroomopenedoffthebackofthemainschoolroom。Trinacastacriticalglanceintobothoftheserooms。Therehadbeenagreatdealofgoingandcominginthemduringtheday，andshedecidedthatthefirstthingtodowouldbetoscrubthefloors。Shewentupagaintoherroomoverheadandheatedsomewateroverheroilstove；
　　then，re-descending，settoworkvigorously。
　　Bynineo’clockshehadalmostfinishedwiththeschoolroom。
　　Shewasdownonherhandsandkneesinthemidstofasteamingmuckofsoapywater。Onherfeetwereapairofman’sshoesfastenedwithbuckles；adirtycottongown，dampwiththewater，clungabouthershapeless，stuntedfigure。
　　Fromtimetotimeshesatbackonherheelstoeasethestrainofherposition，andwithonesmokinghand，whiteandparboiledwiththehotwater，brushedherhair，alreadystreakedwithgray，outofherweazened，palefaceandthecornersofhermouth。
　　Itwasveryquiet。Agas-jetwithoutaglobelituptheplacewithacrude，rawlight。Thecatwholivedonthepremises，preferringtobedirtyratherthantobewet，hadgotintothecoalscuttle，andoveritsrimwatchedhersleepilywithalong，complacentpurr。
　　Allatoncehestoppedpurring，leavinganabruptsilenceintheairlikethesuddenshuttingoffofastreamofwater，whilehiseyesgrewwide，twolambentdisksofyellowintheheapofblackfur。
　　“Whoisthere？“criedTrina，sittingbackonherheels。Inthestillnessthatsucceeded，thewaterdrippedfromherhandswiththesteadytickofaclock。ThenabrutalfistswungopenthestreetdooroftheschoolroomandMcTeaguecamein。Hewasdrunk；notwiththatdrunkennesswhichisstupid，maudlin，waveringonitsfeet，butwiththatwhichisalert，unnaturallyintelligent，vicious，perfectlysteady，deadlywicked。Trinaonlyhadtolookonceathim，andinaninstant，withsomestrangesixthsense，bornoftheoccasion，knewwhatshehadtoexpect。
　　Shejumpedupandranfromhimintothelittlecloakroom。
　　Shelockedandboltedthedoorafterher，andleanedherweightagainstit，pantingandtrembling，everynerveshrinkingandquiveringwiththefearofhim。
　　McTeagueputhishandontheknobofthedooroutsideandopenedit，tearingoffthelockandboltguard，andsendingherstaggeringacrosstheroom。
　　“Mac，“shecriedtohim，ashecamein，speakingwithhorridrapidity，cringingandholdingoutherhands，“Mac，listen。
　　Waitaminute——lookhere——listenhere。Itwasn’tmyfault。
　　I’llgiveyousomemoney。Youcancomeback。I’lldoANYTHINGyouwant。Won’tyoujustLISTENtome？Oh，don’t！I’llscream。Ican’thelpit，youknow。Thepeoplewillhear。“
　　McTeaguecametowardsherslowly，hisimmensefeetdraggingandgrindingonthefloor；hisenormousfists，hardaswoodenmallets，swingingathissides。Trinabackedfromhimtothecorneroftheroom，coweringbeforehim，holdingherelbowcrookedinfrontofherface，watchinghimwithfearfulintentness，readytododge。
　　“Iwantthatmoney，“hesaid，pausinginfrontofher。
　　“Whatmoney？“criedTrina。
　　“Iwantthatmoney。Yougotit——thatfivethousanddollars。
　　Iwanteverynickelofit！Youunderstand？“
　　“Ihaven’tit。Itisn’there。UncleOelbermann’sgotit。“
　　“That’salie。Hetoldmethatyoucameandgotit。You’vehaditlongenough；nowIwantit。Doyouhear？“
　　“Mac，Ican’tgiveyouthatmoney。I——IWON’Tgiveittoyou，“Trinacried，withsuddenresolution。
　　“Yes，youwill。You’llgivemeeverynickelofit。“
　　“No，NO。“
　　“Youain’tgoingtomakesmallofmethistime。Givemethatmoney。“
　　“NO。“
　　“Forthelasttime，willyougivemethatmoney？“
　　“No。“
　　“Youwon’t，huh？Youwon’tgivemeit？Forthelasttime。“
　　“No，NO。“