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then stops； arrested by her irresponsive attitude。
SHE； with a light sigh； and looking down at the paper； which she has
continued to hold between her hands： 〃There was a timea moment
when I might have answered as you wish。〃
HE： 〃Oh！ then there will be again。 If you have changed once； you
may change once more。 Let me hope that some timeany time； dearest〃
…
SHE； quenching him with a look： 〃Mr。 Ransom； I shall NEVER change
toward you！ You confess that you had your opportunity； and that you
despised it。〃
HE： 〃Oh！ NOT despised it！〃
SHE： 〃Neglected it。〃
HE： 〃Not wilfullyno。 I confess that I was stupidly； vilely；
pusillanpusillanillani〃 …
SHE： 〃'Monsly〃 …
HE： 〃Thanks'mously unworthy of it； but I didn't despise it； I
didn't neglect it； and if you will only let me show by a lifetime of
devotion how dearly and truly I have loved you from the first moment
I drove that cow away〃 …
SHE： 〃Mr。 Ransom； I have told you that I should never change toward
you。 That cow was nothing when weighed in the balance against your
being willing to leave a poor girl； whom you supposed interested in
you； and to whom you had paid the most marked attention； without a
word to show her that you cared for her。 What is a cow； or a whole
herd of cows； as compared with obliging a young lady to offer you
money that you hadn't earned； and then savagely flinging it back in
her face？ A yoke of oxen would be nothingor a mad bull。〃
HE： 〃Oh； I acknowledge it！ I confess it。〃
SHE： 〃And you own that I am right in refusing to listen to you now？〃
HE； desolately： 〃Yes； yes。〃
SHE： 〃It seems that you gave me lessons in order to be with me； and
if possible to interest me in you； and then you were going away
without a word。〃
HE； with a groan： 〃It was only because I was afraid to speak。〃
SHE： 〃Oh； is THAT any excuse？〃
HE： 〃No； none。〃
SHE： 〃A man ought always to have courage。〃 After a pause； in which
he stands before her with bowed head： 〃Then there's nothing for me
but to give you this money。〃
HE； with sudden energy： 〃This is too much！ I〃 …
SHE； offering him the bank…notes： 〃No； it is the exact sum。 I
counted it very carefully。〃
HE： 〃I won't take it； I can't！ I'll never take it！〃
SHE； standing with the money in her outstretched hand： 〃I have your
word as a gentleman that you will take it。〃
HE； gasping： 〃Oh； wellI will take itI will〃He clutches the
money； and rushes toward the door。 〃Good…evening； ahgood…by〃 …
SHE； calling after him： 〃The receipt； Mr。 Ransom！ Please sign this
receipt！〃 She waves the paper in the air。
HE： 〃Oh； yes； certainly！ Where is itwhatwhich〃He rushes back
to her； and seizing the receipt； feels blindly about for the pen and
ink。 〃Where shall I sign？〃
SHE： 〃Read it first。〃
HE： 〃Oh； it's allall right〃 …
SHE： 〃I insist upon your reading it。 It's a business transaction。
Read it aloud。〃
HE； desperately： 〃Well； well！〃 He reads。 〃'Received from Miss
Ethel Reed； in full； for twenty…five lessons in oil…painting； one
hundred and twenty…five dollars； and her hand； heart； and dearest
love forever。'〃 He looks up at her。 〃Ethel！〃
SHE； smiling： 〃Sign it； sign it！〃
HE； catching her in his arms and kissing her： 〃Oh； yesHERE！〃
SHE； pulling a little away from him； and laughing： 〃Oh； oh！ I only
wanted ONE signature！ Twenty autographs are too many； unless you'll
let me trade them off； as the collectors do。〃
HE： 〃No； keep them all！ I couldn't think of letting any one else
have them。 One more！〃
SHE： 〃No； it's quite enough！〃
SHE frees herself； and retires beyond the table。 〃This unexpected
affection〃 …
HE： 〃IS it unexpectedseriously？〃
SHE： 〃What do you mean？〃
HE： 〃Oh； nothing！〃
SHE： 〃Yes； tell me！〃
HE： 〃I hopedI thoughtperhapsthat you might have been prepared
for some such demonstration on my part。〃
SHE： 〃And why did you thinkhopeperhapsTHAT； Mr。 Ransom； may I
ask？〃
HE： 〃If I hadn't； how should I have dared to speak？〃
SHE： 〃Dared？ You were obliged to speak！ Well； since it's all over；
I don't mind saying that I DID have some slight apprehensions that
something in the way of a declaration might be extorted from you。〃
HE： 〃Extorted？ Oh！〃 He makes an impassioned rush toward her。
SHE； keeping the table between them： 〃No； no。〃
HE： 〃Oh； I merely wished to ask why you chose to make me suffer so；
after I had come to the point。〃
SHE： 〃Ask it across the table； then。〃 After a moment's reflection；
〃I made you sufferI made you sufferso that you might have a
realizing sense of what you had made ME suffer。〃
HE； enraptured by this confession： 〃Oh； you angel！〃
SHE； with tender magnanimity： 〃No； only a womana poor； trusting；
foolish woman！〃 She permits him to surround the table； with
imaginable results。 Then； with her head on his shoulder： 〃You'll
NEVER let me regret it； will you； darling？ You'll never oblige me to
punish you again； dearest； will you？ Oh； it hurt ME far worse to SEE
your pain than it did you totofeel it！〃 On the other side of the
partition； Mr。 Grinnidge's pipe falls from his lips； parted in
slumber； and shivers to atoms on the register。 〃Oh！〃 She flies at
the register with a shriek of dismay； and is about to close it。
〃That wretch has been listening； and has heard every word！〃
HE； preventing her： 〃What wretch？ Where？〃
SHE： 〃Don't you hear him； mumbling and grumbling there？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； I swear！ Cash value of twenty…five dollars； and
untold toil in coloring it！〃
RANSOM； listening with an air of mystification： 〃Who's that？〃
SHE： 〃Gummidge； Grimmidgewhatever you called him。 Oh！〃 She
arrests herself in consternation。 〃Now I HAVE done it！〃
HE： 〃Done what？〃
SHE： 〃Ohnothing！〃
HE： 〃I don't understand。 Do you mean to say that my friend
Grinnidge's room is on the other aide of the wall； and that you can
hear him talk through the register？〃
SHE preserves the silence of abject terror。 He stoops over the
register； and calls down it。 〃Grinnidge！ Hallo！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Hallo； yourself！〃
RANSOM； to Miss Reed： 〃Sounds like the ghostly squeak of the
phonograph。〃 To Grinnidge： 〃What's the trouble？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Smashed my pipe。 Dozed off and let it drop on this
infernal register。〃
RANSOM； turning from the register with impressive deliberation：
〃Miss Reed； may I ask HOW you came to know that his name was
Gummidge； or Grimmidge； or whatever I called him？〃
SHE： Oh； dearest； I CAN'T tell you！ Oryes； I had better。〃
Impulsively： 〃I will judge you by myself。 _I_ could forgive YOU
anything！〃
HE； doubtfully： 〃Oh； could you？〃
SHE： 〃Everything！ I hadI had better make a clean breast of it。
Yes； I had。 Though I don't like to。 II listened！〃
HE： 〃Listened？〃
SHE： 〃Through the register totowhatyouwere saying before
youcame in here。〃 Her head droops。
HE： 〃Then you heard everything？〃
SHE： 〃Kill me； but don't look SO at me！ It was accidental at first…
…indeed it was； and then I recognized your voice； and then I knew you
were talking about me； and I had so much at stake； and I did love you
so dearly！ You WILL forgive me； darling？ It wasn't as if I were
listening with any bad motive。〃
HE； taking her in his arms： 〃Forgive you？ Of course I do。 But you
must change this room at once； Ethel； you see you hear everything on
the other side； too。〃
SHE： 〃Oh； not if you whisper on this。 You couldn't hear US？〃 At a
dubious expression of his： 〃You DIDN'T hear us？ If you did； I can
never forgive you！〃
HE： 〃It was accidental at firstindeed it was； and then I
recognized your voice； and then I knew you were talking about me； and
I had so much at stake； and I did love you so dearly！〃
SHE： 〃All that has nothing whatever to do with it。 How much did you
hear？〃
HE； with exemplary meekness： 〃Only what you were saying before
Grinnidge came in。 You didn't whisper then。 I had to wait there for
him while〃 …
SHE： 〃While you were giving your good resolutions a rest？〃
HE： 〃While I was giving my good resolutions a rest。〃
SHE： 〃And that accounts for your determination to humble yourself
so？〃
HE： 〃It seemed perfectly providential that I should have known just
what conditions you were going to exact of me。〃
SHE： 〃Oh； don't make light of it！ I can tell you it's a very
serious matter。〃
HE： 〃It was very serious for me when you didn't meet my self…
abasement as you had led me to expect you would。〃
SHE： 〃Don't make fun！ I'm trying to think whether I can forgive
you。〃
HE； with insinuation： 〃Don't you believe you could think better if
you put your head on my shoulder？〃
SHE： 〃Nonsense！ Then I should forgive you without thinking。〃 After
a season of reflection： 〃No； I CAN'T forgive you。 I never could
forgive eavesdropping。 It's TOO low。〃
HE； in astonishment： 〃Why； you did it yourself！〃
SHE： 〃But you began it。 Besides； it's very different for a man。
Women are weak； poor； helpless creatures。 They have to use finesse。
But a man should be above it。〃
HE： 〃You said you could forgive me anything。〃
SHE： 〃Ah； but I didn't know what you'd been doing！〃
HE； with pensive resignation； and a fe