e and say such a
thing?"

"You did tell me that," vociferated McTeague, beginning to get angry in
his turn.

"Mac, I didn't, and you know it. And what's more, I won't pay a nickel.
Mr. Heise pays his bill next week, it's forty-three dollars, and you can
just pay the thirty-five out of that."

"Why, you got a whole hundred dollars saved up in your match-safe,"
shouted the dentist, throwing out an arm with an awkward gesture. "You
pay half and I'll pay half, that's only fair."

"No, no, NO," exclaimed Trina. "It's not a hundred dollars. You won't
touch it; you won't touch my money, I tell you."

"Ah, how does it happen to be yours, I'd like to know?"

"It's mine! It's mine! It's mine!" cried Trina, her face scarlet, her
teeth clicking like the snap of a closing purse.

"It ain't any more yours than it is mine."

"Every penny of it is mine."

"Ah, what a fine fix you'd get me into," growled the dentist. "I've
signed the paper with the owner; that's business, you know, that's
business, you know; and now you go back on me. Suppose we'd taken the
house, we'd 'a' shared the rent, wouldn't we, just as we do here?"

Trina shrugged her shoulders with a great affectation of indifference
and began chopping the onions again.

"You settle it with the owner," she said. "It's your affair; you've got
the money." She pretended to assume a certain calmness as though the
matter was something that no longer affected her. Her manner exasperated
McTeague all the more.

"No, I won't; no, I won't; I won't either," he shouted. "I'll pay my
half and he can come to you for the other half." Trina put a hand over
her ear to shut out his clamor.

"Ah, don't try and be smart," cried McTeague. "Come, now, yes or no,
will you pay your half?"

"You heard what I said."

"Will you pay it?"

"No."

"Miser!" shouted McTeague. "Miser! you're worse than old Zerkow. All
right, all right, keep your money. I'll pay the whole thirty-five. I'd
rather lose it than be such a miser as you."

"Haven't you got anything to do," returned Trina, "instead of staying
here and abusing me?"

"Well, then, for the last time, will you help me out?" Trina cut the
heads of a fresh bunch of onions and gave no answer.

"Huh? will you?"

"I'd like to have my kitchen to myself, please," she said in a mincing
way, irritating to a last degree. The dentist stamped out of the room,
banging the door behind him.

For nearly a week the breach between them remain