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