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say that you are my ONLY friend。 Come here； Henrietta。 Draw up your
chair； and put your little hand in mine。〃
MISS SPAULDING； with severe distrust： 〃What do you want； Ethel
Reed？〃
MISS REED： 〃I wantI wantto talk it over with you。〃
MISS SPAULDING； recoiling： 〃I knew it！ Well； now； we've talked it
over enough； we've talked it over till there's nothing left of it。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； there's everything left！ It remains in all its
original enormity。 Perhaps we shall get some new light upon it。〃
She extends a pleading hand towards Miss Spaulding。 〃Come；
Henrietta； my only friend； shake！as the 'good Indians' say。 Let
your Ethel pour her hackneyed sorrows into your bosom。 Such an
uncomfortable image； it always seems； doesn't it； pouring sorrows
into bosoms！ Come！〃
MISS SPAULDING； decidedly： 〃No； I won't！ And you needn't try
wheedling any longer。 I won't sympathize with you on that basis at
all。〃
MISS REED： 〃What shall I try； then； if you won't let me try
wheedling？〃
MISS SPAULDING； going to the piano and opening it： 〃Try courage； try
self…respect。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； dear！ when I haven't a morsel of either。 Are you
going to practise； you cruel maid？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Of course I am。 It's half…past four； and if I
don't do it now I sha'n't be prepared to…morrow for Miss Robins： she
takes this piece。〃
MISS REED： 〃Well； well； perhaps it's all for the best。 If music be
the food ofumph…ump！you know what！play on。〃 They both laugh；
and Miss Spaulding pushes back a little from the piano； and wheels
toward her friend； letting one hand rest slightly on the keys。
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Ethel Reed； you're the most ridiculous girl in the
world。〃
MISS REED： 〃Correct！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃And I don't believe you ever were in love； or ever
will be。〃
MISS REED： 〃Ah； there you wrong me； Henrietta！ I have been； and I
shall belots of times。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Well； what do you want to say now？ You must hurry；
for I can't lose any more time。〃
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