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MISS REED： 〃I will free my mind with neatness and despatch。 I
simply wish to go over the whole affair； from Alfred to Omaha； and
you've got to let me talk as much slang and nonsense as I want。 And
then I'll skip all the details I can。 Will you？〃
MISS SPAULDING； with impatient patience： 〃Oh； I suppose so！〃
MISS REED： 〃That's very sweet of you； though you don't look it。
Now； where was I？ Oh； yes； do you think it was forth…putting at all；
to ask him if he would give me the lessons？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃It depends upon why you asked him。〃
MISS REED： 〃I asked him fromfromLet me see； I asked him because…
…fromYes； I say it boldly； I asked him from an enthusiasm for art；
and a sincere wish to learn the use of oil； as he called it。 Yes！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Are you sure？〃
MISS REED： 〃Sure？ Well； we will say that I am； for the sake of
argument。 And； having secured this basis； the question is whether I
wasn't bound to offer him pay at the end； and whether he wasn't wrong
to take my doing so in dudgeon。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Yes； I think he was wrong。 And the terms of his
refusal were very ungentlemanly。 He ought to apologize most amply
and humbly。〃 At a certain expression in Miss Reed's face； she adds；
with severity： 〃Unless you're keeping back the main point。 You
usually do。 Are you？〃
MISS REED： 〃No； no。 I've told you everythingeverything！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Then I say； as I said from the beginning； that he
behaved very badly。 It was very awkward and very painful； but you've
really nothing to blame yourself for。〃
MISS REED； ruefully： 〃No…o…o！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃What do you mean by that sort of 'No'？〃
MISS REED： 〃Nothing。〃
MISS SPAULDING； sternly： 〃Yes； you do； Ethel。〃
MISS REED： 〃I don't； really。 What makes you' think I do？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃It sounded very dishonest。〃
MISS REED： 〃Did it？ I didn't mean it to。〃 Her friend breaks down
with a laugh； while Miss Reed preserves a demure countenance。
MISS SPAULDING： 〃What ARE you keeping back？〃
MISS REED： 〃Nothing at allless than nothing！ I never thought it
was worth mentioning。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Are you telling me the truth？〃
MISS REED： 〃I'm telling you the truth and something more。 You can't
ask better than that； can you？〃
MISS SPAULDING； turning to her music again： 〃Certainly not。〃
MISS REED： in a pathetic wail： 〃O Henrietta！ do you abandon me
thus？ Well； I will tell you； heartless girl！ I've only kept it back
till now because it was so extremely mortifying to my pride as an
artistas a student of oil。 Will you hear me？〃
MISS SPAULDING； beginning to play： 〃No。〃
MISS REED； with burlesque wildness： 〃You shall！〃 Miss Spaulding
involuntarily desists。 〃There was a momenta fatal momentwhen he
said he thought he ought to tell me that if I found oil amusing I
could go on； but that he didn't believe I should ever learn to use
it； and he couldn't let me take lessons from him with the expectation
that I should。 There！〃
MISS SPAULDING； with awful reproach： 〃And you call that less than
nothing？ I've almost a mind never to speak to you again； Ethel。 How
COULD you deceive me so？〃
MISS REED： 〃Was it really deceiving？ _I_ shouldn't call it so。 And
I needed your sympathy so much； and I knew I shouldn't get it unless
you thought I was altogether in the right。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃You are altogether in the wrong！ And it's YOU that
ought to apologize to HIMon your bended knees。 How COULD you offer
him money after that？ I wonder at you； Ethel！〃
MISS REED： 〃Whydon't you see； Nettie？I did keep on taking the
lessons of him。 I did find oil amusingor the oilistand I kept
on。 Of course I had to； off there in a farmhouse full of lady
boarders； and he the only gentleman short of Crawford's。 Strike； but
hear me； Henrietta Spaulding！ What was I to do about the half…dozen
lessons I had taken before he told me I should never learn to use
oil？ Was I to offer to pay him for these； and not for the rest； or
was I to treat the whole series as gratuitous？ I used to lie awake
thinking about it。 I've got little tact； but I couldn't find any way
out of the trouble。 It was a boxyes； a box of the deepest dye！
And the whole affair having got to besomething else； don't you
know？made it all the worse。 And if he'd onlyonlyBut he didn't。
Not a syllable； not a breath！ And there I was。 I HAD to offer him
the money。 And it's almost killed methe way he took my offering
it； and now the way you take it！ And it's all of a piece。〃 Miss
Reed suddenly snatches her handkerchief from her pocket； and buries
her face in it。〃Oh； dearoh； dear！ Oh！hu； hu； hu！〃
MISS SPAULDING； relenting： 〃It was awkward。〃
MISS REED： 〃Awkward！ You seem to think that because I carry things
off lightly I have no feeling。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃You know I don't think that； Ethel。〃
MISS REED； pursuing her advantage： 〃I don't know it from you；
Nettie。 I've tried and TRIED to pass it off as a joke； and to treat
it as something funny； but I can tell you it's no joke at all。〃
MISS SPAULDING； sympathetically： 〃I see； dear。〃
MISS REED： 〃It's not that I care for him〃 …
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Why； of course。〃
MISS REED： 〃For I don't in the least。 He is horrid every way：
blunt； and rude； and horrid。 I never cared for him。 But I care for
myself！ He has put me in the position of having done an unkind
thingan unladylike thingwhen I was only doing what I had to do。
Why need he have taken it the way he did？ Why couldn't he have said
politely that he couldn't accept the money because he hadn't earned
it？ Even THAT would have been mortifying enough。 But he must go and
be so violent； and rush off； andOh； I never could have treated
anybody so！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Not unless you were very fond of them。〃
MISS REED： 〃What？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Not unless you were very fond of them。〃
MISS REED； putting away her handkerchief： 〃Oh； nonsense； Nettie！ He
never cared anything for me； or he couldn't have acted so。 But no
matter for that。 He has fixed everything so that it can never be got
straightnever in the world。 It will just have to remain a hideous
mass ofof_I_ don't know what； and I have simply got to on
withering with despair at the point where I left off。 But I don't
care！ That's one comfort。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃I don't believe he'll let you wither long； Ethel。〃
MISS REED： 〃He's let me wither for twenty…four hours already！ But
it's nothing to me； now； how long he lets me wither。 I'm perfectly
satisfied to have the affair remain as it is。 I am in the right； and
if he comes I shall refuse to see him。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； no； you won't； Ethel！〃
MISS REED： 〃Yes； I shall。 I shall receive him very coldly。 I won't
listen to any excuse from him。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； yes； you will； Ethel！〃
MISS REED： 〃No； I shall not。 If he wishes me to listen he must
begin by humbling himself in the dustyes； the dust； Nettie！ I
won't take anything short of it。 I insist that he shall realize that
I have suffered。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Perhaps he has suffered too！〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； HE suffered！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃You know that he was perfectly devoted to you。〃
MISS REED： 〃He never said so。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Perhaps he didn't dare。〃
MISS REED： 〃He dared to be very insolent to me。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃And you know you liked him very much。〃
MISS REED： 〃I won't let you say that； Nettie Spaulding。 I DIDN'T
like him。 I respected and admired him； but I didn't LIKE him。 He
will come near me； but if he does he has to begin bybyLet me see；
what shall I make him begin by doing？〃 She casts up her eyes for
inspiration while she leans forward over the register。 〃Yes； I will！
He has got to begin by taking that money！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Ethel； you wouldn't put that affront upon a
sensitive and high…spirited man！〃
MISS REED： 〃Wouldn't I？ You wait and SEE； Miss Spaulding！ He shall
take the money； and he shall sign a receipt for it。 I'll draw up the
receipt now； so as to have it ready； and I shall ask him to sign it
the very moment he enters this doorthe very instant！〃 She takes a
portfolio from the table near her； without rising； and writes：
〃'Received from Miss Ethel Reed one hundred and twenty…five dollars；
in full； for twenty…five lessons in oil…painting。' Therewhen Mr。
Oliver Ransom has signed this little document he may begin to talk；
not before！〃 She leans back in her chair with an air of pitiless
determination。
MISS SPAULDING： 〃But； Ethel； you don't mean to make him take money
for the lessons he gave you after he told you you couldn't learn
anything？〃
MISS REED； after a moment's pause： 〃Yes； I do。 This is to punish
him。 I don't wish for justice now； I wish for vengeance！ At first I
would have compromised on the six lessons； or on none at all； if he
had behaved nicely； but after what's happened I shall insist upon
paying him for every lesson； so as to make him feel that the whole
thing； from first to last； was a purely business transaction on my
part。 Yes； a PURELYBUSINESSTRANSACTION！〃
MISS SPAULDING； turning to her music： 〃Then I've got nothing more to
say to you； Ethel Ree