occupation，suddenlyseizedwithagreatembarrassment，thetimidityofasecondchildhood。Hewentonabouthisbusiness，disturbedandthoughtful。Shehurrieduptohertinyroom，hercuriouslittlefalsecurlsshakingwithheragitation，thefaintestsuggestionofaflushcomingandgoinginherwitheredcheeks。Theemotionofoneofthesechancemeetingsremainedwiththemduringalltherestoftheday。
Wasitthefirstromanceinthelivesofeach？DidOldGranniseverrememberacertainfaceamongstthosethathehadknownwhenhewasyoungGrannis——thefaceofsomepale-
hairedgirl，suchasoneseesintheoldcathedraltownsofEngland？DidMissBakerstilltreasureupinaseldomopeneddrawerorboxsomefadeddaguerreotype，somestrangeold-fashionedlikeness，withitscurlinghairandhighstock？Itwasimpossibletosay。
MariaMacapa，theMexicanwomanwhotookcareofthelodgers’rooms，hadbeenthefirsttocalltheflat’sattentiontotheaffair，spreadingthenewsofitfromroomtoroom，fromfloortofloor。Oflateshehadmadeagreatdiscovery；allthewomenfolkoftheflatwereyetvibrantwithit。OldGranniscamehomefromhisworkatfouro’clock，andbetweenthattimeandsixMissBakerwouldsitinherroom，herhandsidleinherlap，doingnothing，listening，waiting。OldGrannisdidthesame，drawinghisarm-chairneartothewall，knowingthatMissBakerwasupontheotherside，conscious，perhaps，thatshewasthinkingofhim；andtherethetwowouldsitthroughthehoursoftheafternoon，listeningandwaiting，theydidnotknowexactlyforwhat，butneartoeachother，separatedonlybythethinpartitionoftheirrooms。Theyhadcometoknoweachother’shabits。OldGrannisknewthatatquarteroffivepreciselyMissBakermadeacupofteaovertheoilstoveonthestandbetweenthebureauandthewindow。MissBakerfeltinstinctivelytheexactmomentwhenOldGrannistookdownhislittlebindingapparatusfromthesecondshelfofhisclothesclosetandbeganhisfavoriteoccupationofbindingpamphlets——pamphletsthatheneverread，forallthat。
Inhis“Parlors“McTeaguebeganhisweek’swork。Heglancedintheglasssaucerinwhichhekepthissponge-gold，andnoticingthathehadusedupallhispellets，setaboutmakingsomemore。InexaminingMissBaker’steethatthepreliminarysittinghehadfoundacavityinoneoftheincisors。MissBakerhaddecidedtohaveitfilledwithgold。McTeaguerememberednowthatitwaswhatiscalleda“proximatecase，“wherethereisnotsufficientroomtofillwithlargepiecesofgold。Hetoldhimselfthatheshouldhavetouse“mats“inthefilling。Hemadesomedozenofthese“mats“fromhistapeofnon-cohesivegold，cuttingittransverselyintosmallpiecesthatcouldbeinsertededgewisebetweentheteethandconsolidatedbypacking。