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suppose but that she had been quietly biding her time； and storing up
her resentment for my having told her she couldn't learn to paint；
till she could pay me back with interest in one supreme insult？〃
MISS REED； in a low voice： 〃Oh； how could you think such a cruel；
vulgar thing？〃 Miss Spaulding leaves the piano； and softly
approaches her； where she has sunk on her knees beside the register。
RANSOM： 〃It was tantamount to telling me that she had been amusing
herself with me instead of my lessons。 It remanded our whole
association； which I had got to thinking so romantic； to the relation
of teacher and pupil。 It was a snuba heartless； killing snub； and
I couldn't see it in any other light。〃 Ransom walks away to the
window； and looks out。
MISS REED； flinging herself backward from the register； and hiding
her face in her hands： 〃Oh； it wasn't！ it wasn't！ it wasn't！ How
could you think so？〃
MISS SPAULDING； rushing forward； and catching her friend in her arms：
〃What is the matter with you； Ethel Reed？ What are you doing here；
over the register？ Are you trying to suffocate yourself？ Have you
taken leave of your senses？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Our fair friend on the other side of the wall seems to
be on the rampage。〃
MISS SPAULDING； shutting the register with a violent clash： 〃Ugh！
how hot it is here！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Doesn't like your conversation； apparently。〃
MISS REED； frantically pressing forward to open the register： 〃Oh；
don't shut it； Nettie； dear！ If you do I shall die！ Do…o…n't shut
the register！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Don't shut it？ Why； we've got all the heat of the
furnace in the room now。 Surely you don't want any more？〃
MISS REED： 〃No； no； not any more。 ButbutOh； dear！ what shall I
do？〃 She still struggles in the embrace of her friend。
GRINNIDGE； remaining quietly at the register； while Ransom walks away
to the window： 〃Well； what did you do？〃
MISS REED： 〃There； there！ They're commencing again！ DO open it；
Nettie。 I WILL have it open！〃 She wrenches herself free； and dashes
the register open。
GRINNIDGE： 〃Ah； she's opened it again。〃
Miss Reed； in a stage…whisper： 〃That's the other one！〃
RANSOM； from the window： 〃Do？ I'll tell you what I did。〃
MISS REED： 〃That's OlMr。 Ransom。 And； oh； I can't make out what
he's saying！ He must have gone away to the other side of the room
and it's at the most important point！〃
MISS SPAULDING； in an awful undertone： 〃Was that the hollow rumbling
I heard？ And have you been listening at the register to what they've
been saying？ O ETHEL！〃
MISS REED： 〃I haven't been listening； exactly。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃You have！ You have been eavesdropping！〃
MISS REED： 〃Eavesdropping is listening through a key…hole； or around
a corner。 This is very different。 Besides； it's Oliver； and he's
been talking about ME。 Hark！〃 She clutches her friend's hand； where
they have crouched upon the floor together； and pulls her forward to
the register。 〃Oh； dear； how hot it is！ I wish they would cut off
the heat down below。〃
GRINNIDGE； smoking peacefully through the silence which his friend
has absent…mindedly let follow upon his last words： 〃Well； you seem
disposed to take your time about it。〃
RANSOM： 〃About what？ Oh； yes！ Well〃 …
MISS REED： 〃'Sh！ Listen。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃I won't listen！ It's shameful： it's wicked！ I
don't see how you can do it； Ethel！〃 She remains； however； kneeling
near the register； and she involuntarily inclines a little more
toward it。
RANSOM： 〃It isn't a thing that I care to shout from the house…
tops。〃 He returns from the window to the chimney…piece。 〃I wrote
the rudest kind of note； and sent back her letter and her money in
it。 She had said that she hoped our acquaintance was not to end with
the summer； but that we might sometimes meet in Boston； and I
answered that our acquaintance had ended already； and that I should
be sorry to meet her anywhere again。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； if you wanted to make an ass of yourself； you did
it pretty completely。〃
MISS REED； whispering： 〃How witty he is！ Those men are always so
humorous with each other。〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes； I didn't do it by halves。〃
MISS REED； whispering： 〃Oh； THAT'S funny； too！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃It didn't occur to you that she might feel bound to pay
you for the first half…dozen； and was embarrassed how to offer to pay
for them alone？〃
MISS REED： 〃How he DOES go to the heart of the matter！〃 She presses
Miss Spaulding's hand in an ecstasy of approval。
RANSOM： 〃Yes； it didafterward。〃
MISS REED； in a tender murmur： 〃Oh； POOR Oliver！〃
RANSOM： 〃And it occurred to me that she was perfectly right in the
whole affair。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； how generous！ how noble！〃
RANSOM： 〃I had had a thousand opportunities； and I hadn't been man
enough to tell her that I was in love with her。〃
MISS REED： 〃How can he say it right out so bluntly？ But if it's
true〃 …
RANSOM： 〃I COULDN'T speak。 I was afraid of putting an end to the
affairof frightening herdisgusting her。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； how little they know us； Nettie！〃
RANSOM： 〃She seemed so much above me in every wayso sensitive； so
refined； so gentle； so good； so angelic！〃
MISS REED： 〃There！ NOW do you call it eavesdropping？ If listeners
never hear any good of themselves； what do you say to that？ It
proves that I haven't been listening。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！ They're saying something else。〃
RANSOM： 〃But all that's neither here nor there。 I can see now that
under the circumstances she couldn't as a lady have acted otherwise
than she did。 She was forced to treat our whole acquaintance as a
business matter； and I had forced her to do it。〃
MISS REED： 〃You HAD； you poor thing！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； what do you intend to do about it？〃
RANSOM： 〃Well〃 …
MISS REED： 〃'Sh！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！〃
RANSOM： 〃that's what I want to submit to you； Grinnidge。 I must
see her。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Yes。 I'm glad _I_ mustn't。〃
MISS REED； stifling a laugh on Miss Spaulding's shoulder： 〃They're
actually AFRAID of us； Nettie！〃
RANSOM： 〃See her； and go down in the dust。〃
MISS REED： 〃My very words！〃
RANSOM： 〃I have been trying to think what was the very humblest pie
I could eat； by way of penance； and it appears to me that I had
better begin by saying that I have come to ask her for the money I
refused。〃
MISS REED； enraptured： 〃Oh！ doesn't it seem just likelike
inspiration； Nettie？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！ Be quiet； do！ You'll frighten them away！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃And then what？〃
RANSOM： 〃What then？ I don't know what then。 But it appears to me
that； as a gentleman； I've got nothing to do with the result。 All
that I've got to do is to submit to my fate； whatever it is。〃
MISS REED； breathlessly： 〃What princely courage！ What delicate
magnanimity！ Oh； he needn't have the LEAST fear！ If I could only
tell him that！〃
GRINNIDGE； after an interval of meditative smoking： 〃Yes； I guess
that's the best thing you can do。 It will strike her fancy； if she's
an imaginative girl； and she'll think you a fine fellow。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； the horrid thing！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃If you humble yourself to a woman at all； do it
thoroughly。 If you go halfway down she'll be tempted to push you the
rest of the way。 If you flatten out at her feet to begin with； ten
to one but she will pick you up。〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes； that was my idea。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； was it； indeed！ Well！〃
RANSOM： 〃But I've nothing to do with her picking me up or pushing me
down。 All that I've got to do is to go and surrender myself。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Yes。 Well； I guess you can't go too soon。 I like your
company； but I advise you as a friend not to lose time。 Where does
she live？〃
RANSOM： 〃That's the remarkable part of it： she lives in this
house。〃
MISS REED and Miss Spaulding； in subdued chorus： 〃Oh！〃
GRINNIDGE； taking his pipe out of his mouth in astonishment： 〃No！〃
RANSOM： 〃I just came in here to give my good resolutions a rest
while I was screwing my courage up to ask for her。〃
MISS REED： 〃Don't you think he's VERY humorous？ Give his good
resolutions a rest！ That's the way he ALWAYS talks。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃You said you came for my advice。〃
RANSOM： 〃So I did。 But I didn't promise to act upon it。 Well！〃 He
goes toward the door。
GRINNIDGE； without troubling himself to rise： 〃Well； good luck to
you！〃
MISS REED： 〃How droll they are with each other！ Don't you LIKE to
hear them talk？ Oh； I could listen all day。〃
GRINNIDGE； calling after Ransom： 〃You haven't told me your duck's
name。〃
MISS REED： 〃Is THAT what they call us？ Duck！ Do you think it's
very respectful； Nettie？ I don't believe I like it。 Or； yes； why
not？ It's no harmif I AM his duck！〃
RANSOM； coming back： 〃Well； I don't propose to go shouting it round。
Her name is Miss ReedEthel Reed。〃
MISS REED： 〃How CAN he？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Slender； willowy party； with a lot of blond hair that
looks as if it might be indigenous？ Rather pensive…looking？〃
MISS REED： 〃Indigenous！ I should hope so！〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes。 But she isn't pensive。 She's awfu