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　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　Ree