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MISS SPAULDING； sympathetically： 〃I see； dear。〃
MISS REED： 〃It's not that I care for him〃 …
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Why； of course。〃
MISS REED： 〃For I don't in the least。 He is horrid every way：
blunt； and rude； and horrid。 I never cared for him。 But I care for
myself！ He has put me in the position of having done an unkind
thingan unladylike thingwhen I was only doing what I had to do。
Why need he have taken it the way he did？ Why couldn't he have said
politely that he couldn't accept the money because he hadn't earned
it？ Even THAT would have been mortifying enough。 But he must go and
be so violent； and rush off； andOh； I never could have treated
anybody so！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Not unless you were very fond of them。〃
MISS REED： 〃What？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Not unless you were very fond of them。〃
MISS REED； putting away her handkerchief： 〃Oh； nonsense； Nettie！ He
never cared anything for me； or he couldn't have acted so。 But no
matter for that。 He has fixed everything so that it can never be got
straightnever in the world。 It will just have to remain a hideous
mass ofof_I_ don't know what； and I have simply got to on
withering with despair at the point where I left off。 But I don't
care！ That's one comfort。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃I don't believe he'll let you wither long； Ethel。〃
MISS REED： 〃He's let me wither for twenty…four hours already！ But
it's nothing to me； now； how long he lets me wither。 I'm perfectly
satisfied to have the affair remain as it is。 I am in the right； and
if he comes I shall refuse to see him。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； no； you won't； Ethel！〃
MISS REED： 〃Yes； I shall。 I shall receive him very coldly。 I won't
listen to any excuse from him。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； yes； you will； Ethel！〃
MISS REED： 〃No； I shall not。 If he wishes me to listen he must
begin by humbling himself in the dustyes； the dust； Nettie！ I
won't take anything short of it。 I insist that he shall realize that
I have suffered。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Perhaps he has suffered too！〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； HE suffered！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃You know that he was perfectly devoted to you。〃
MISS REED： 〃He never said so。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Perhaps he didn't dare。〃
MISS REED： 〃He dared to be very insolent to me。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃And you know you liked him very much。〃
MISS REED： 〃I won't let you say that； Nettie Spaulding。 I DIDN'T
like him。 I respected and admired him； but I didn't LIKE him。 He
will come near me； but if he does he has to begin bybyLet me see；
what shall I make him begin by doing？〃 She casts up her eyes for
inspiration while she leans forward over the register。 〃Yes； I will！
He has got to begin by taking that money！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Ethel； you wouldn't put that affront upon a
sensitive and high…spirited man！〃
MISS REED： 〃Wouldn't I？ You wait and SEE； Miss Spaulding！ He shall
take the money； and he shall sign a receipt for it。 I'll draw up the
receipt now； so as to have it ready； and I shall ask him to sign it
the very moment he enters this doorthe very instant！〃 She takes a
portfolio from the table near her； without rising； and writes：
〃'Received from Miss Ethel Reed one hundred and twenty…five dollars；
in full； for twenty…five lessons in oil…painting。' Therewhen Mr。
Oliver Ransom has signed this little document he may begin to talk；
not before！〃 She leans back in her chair with an air of pitiless
determination。
MISS SPAULDING： 〃But； Ethel； you don't mean to make him take money
for the lessons he gave you after he told you you couldn't learn
anything？〃
MISS REED； after a moment's pause： 〃Yes； I do。 This is to punish
him。 I don't wish for justice now； I wish for vengeance！ At first I
would have compromised on the six lessons； or on none at all； if he
had behaved nicely； but after what's happened I shall insist upon
paying him for every lesson； so as to make him feel that the whole
thing； from first to last； was a purely business transaction on my
part。 Yes； a PURELYBUSINESSTRANSACTION！〃
MISS SPAULDING； turning to her music： 〃Then I've got nothing more to
say to you； Ethel Reed。〃
MISS REED： 〃I don't say but what； after he's taken the money and
signed the receipt； I'll listen to anything else he's got to say；
very willingly。〃 Miss Spaulding makes no answer； but begins to play
with a scientific absorption； feeling her way fitfully through the
new piece； while Miss Reed； seated by the register； trifles with the
book she has taken from the table。
II。
The interior of the room of Miss Spaulding and Miss Reed remains in
view； while the scene discloses； on the other side of the partition
wall in the same house； the bachelor apartment of Mr。 Samuel
Grinnidge。 Mr。 Grinnidge in his dressing…gown and slippers； with his
pipe in his mouth； has the effect of having just come in； his friend
Mr。 Oliver Ransom stands at the window； staring out into the November
weather。
GRINNIDGE： 〃How long have you been waiting here？〃
RANSOM： 〃Ten minutesten years。 How should I know？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； I don't know who else should。 Get back to…day？〃
RANSOM： 〃Last night。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； take off your coat； and pull up to the register；
and warm your poor feet。〃 He puts his hand out over the register。
〃Confound it！ somebody's got the register open in the next room！ You
see； one pipe comes up from the furnace and branches into a V just
under the floor； and professes to heat both rooms。 But it don't。
There was a fellow in there last winter who used to get all my heat。
Used to go out and leave his register open； and I'd come in here just
before dinner and find this place as cold as a barn。 We had a
running fight of it all winter。 The man who got his register open
first in the morning got all the heat for the day； for it never
turned the other way when it started in one direction。 Used to
almost suffocatewarm； muggy daysmaintaining my rights。 Some
piano…pounder in there this winter； it seems。 Hear？ And she hasn't
lost any time in learning the trick of the register。 What kept you
so late in the country？〃
RANSOM； after an absent…minded pause： 〃Grinnidge； I wish you would
give me some advice。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃You can have all you want of it at the market price。〃
RANSOM： 〃I don't mean your legal advice。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃I'm sorry。 What have you been doing？〃
RANSOM： 〃I've been making an ass of myself。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Wasn't that rather superfluous？〃
RANSOM： 〃If you please； yes。 But now； it you're capable of
listening to me without any further display of your cross…examination
wit； I should like to tell you how it happened。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃I will do my best to veil my brilliancy。 Go on。〃
RANSOM： 〃I went up to Ponkwasset early in September for the
foliage。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃And staid till late in October。 There must have been a
reason for that。 What was her name？ Foliage？〃
RANSOM； coming up to the corner of the chimney…piece； near which his
friend sits； and talking to him directly over the register： 〃I think
you'll have to get along without the name for the present。 I'll tell
you by and by。〃 As Mr。 Ransom pronounces these