“I”mgoingtotellyousomething，“shenowsaidtoSusan。“Youmustpromisenottogivemeaway。”
“Don”ttellme，“repliedSusan。Shewasusedtobeingflattered——orvictimized，accordingtothepointofview——withconfidences。SheassumedMaudwasabouttoconfesssomesecretaboutherownself，asshehadthealmostuniversalhabitofneverthinkingofanyoneelse。“Don”ttellme，“saidshe。
“I”mtiredofbeingusedtoairawfulsecrets。Itmakesmefeellikeatenementwashline。”
“Thisisaboutyou，“saidMaud。“Ifit”severfoundoutthatIputyouwise，Jim”llhavemekilled。Yes——killed。”
Susan，recklessbythistime，laughed。“Oh，trash！“shesaid。
“Notrashatall，“insistedMaud。“Whenyouknowthistownthroughandthroughyou”llknowthatmurder”ssomethingthatcanbearrangedaseasyasbuyingadrink。Whatriskisthereinmakingoneof_us_`disappear”？Noneintheworld。IalwaysfeelthatJim”llhavemekilledsomeday——unlessIgocrazysometimeandkillhim。He”sstuckonme——or，atleast，he”sjealousofme——andifheeverfoundoutIhadalover——somebody——anybodythatdidn”tpay——why，it”dbeallupwithme。LittleMaudwouldgoonthegrill。”
Sheorderedandslowlydrankanotherwhiskeybeforesherecalledwhatshehadsetouttoconfide。Bywayofafreshstartshesaid，“WhatdoyouthinkofFreddie？“
“Idon”tknow，“repliedSusan。Anditwasthetruth。Herinstinctivebeliefinamodifiedkindoffatalismmadeherjudgmentsofpeople——evenofthosewhocausedhertosuffer——singularlyfreefrompersonalbitterness。Freddie，amereinstrumentofdestiny，hadhisgoodside，hishumanside，sheknew。Athisworsthewasnoworsethantheothers，Andasidefromhisqueermagnetism，therewasacertainforceinhimthatcompelledheradmiration；atleasthewasnotoneofthepettyinstrumentsofdestiny。Hehadinhimthesamequalityshefeltgestatingwithinherself。“Idon”tknowwhattothink，“sherepeated。
MaudhadbeenreflectingwhileSusanwascastingabout，asshehadmanyatimebefore，forherrealopinionofhermasterwhowasinturntheslaveofFinnegan，whowasinhisturntheslaveofsomebodyhigherup，shedidn”texactlyknowwho——orwhy——orthewhyofanyofit——orthewhyofthegrotesquesavagepurposelessdoingsofdestinyingeneral。Maudnowburstout：
“Idon”tcare。I”mgoingtoputyouwiseifIdieforit。”
“Don”t，“saidSusan。“Idon”twanttoknow。”
“ButI”ve_got_totellyou。DoyouknowwhatFreddie”sgoingtodo？“
Susansmileddisdainfully。“Idon”tcare。Youmustn”ttellme——whenyou”vebeendrinkingthisway“
“Finnegan”spolicejudgeisamannamedBennett。AssoonasBennettcomesbacktoJeffersonMarketPoliceCourt，Freddie”sgoingtohaveyousentupforthreemonths。”
Susan”sglasswasonthewaytoherlips。Shesetitdownagain。Thedrunkenoldwreckofanentertaineratthepianointhecornerwasbellowingouthisfavoritesong”IAmtheKingoftheVikings。”Susanbegantohumtheair。
“It”sgospel，“criedMaud，thinkingSusandidnotbelieveher。
“He”saqueerone，isFreddie。They”reallafraidofhim。
You”dthinkhewasacoward，thewayhebullieswomenandthat。
Butsomehowheain”t——notabit。He”llbeabigmanintheorganizationsomeday，theyallsay。Heneverletsuptillhegetssquare。Andhethinksyou”renotsquare——afterallhe”sdoneforyou。”
“Perhapsnot——ashelooksatit，“saidSusan。
“AndJimsayshe”scrazyinlovewithyou，andthathewantstoputyouwhereothermencan”tseeyouandwheremaybehecangetovercaringaboutyou。That”stherealreason。He”saqueerdevil。ButthenallmenarethoughnonequitelikeFreddie。”
“SoI”mtogototheIslandforthreemonths，“saidSusanreflectively。
“Youdon”tseemtocare。It”splainyouneverwasthere……
Andyou”vegottogo。There”snowayoutofit——unlessyouskiptoanothercity。Andifyoudidyounevercouldcomebackhere。Freddie”dseethatyougotyoursassoonasyoulanded。”
Susansatlookingatherglass。Maudwatchedherinastonishment。“You”reasqueerasFreddie，“saidsheatlength。“IneverfeelasifIwasacquaintedwithyou——notreally。Ineverhadaladyfriendlikethatbefore。Youdon”tseemtobeabitexcitedaboutwhatFreddie”sgoingtodo。Areyouinlovewithhim？“
Susanliftedstrange，smilingeyestoMaud”scuriousgaze。
“I——in_love_——witha_man_，“shesaidslowly。Andthenshelaughed。
“Don”tlaughthatway，“criedMaud。“Itgivesmethecreeps。
Whatareyougoingtodo？“
“WhatcanIdo？“
“Nothing。”
“Thenifthere”snothingtodo，I”llnonothing。”
“GototheIslandforthreemonths？“
Susanshruggedhershoulders。“Ihaven”tgoneyet。”Sherose。
“It”stoostuffyandsmellyinhere，“saidshe。“Let”smoveout。”
“No。I”llwait。Ipromisedtomeetagentlemanfriendhere。
You”llnottellthatItippedyouoff？“
“You”dnothavetoldmeifyouhadn”tknownIwouldn”t。”
“That”sso。But——whydon”tyoumakeitupwithFreddie？“
“Icouldn”tdothat。”
“He”sdeadinlove。I”msureyoucould。”
AgainSusan”seyesbecamestrange。“I”msureIcouldn”t。Goodnight。”Shegotasfarasthedoor，cameback。“Thankyoufortellingme。”
“Oh，that”sallright，“murmuredthegirl。ShewasembarrassedbySusan”smanner。ShewasfrightenedbySusan”seyes。“Youain”tgoingto——”Thereshehalted。
“What？“
“Tojumpoff？Killyourself？“
“Hardly，“saidSusan。“I”vegotalottodobeforeIdie。”
Shewentdirectlyhome。Palmerwaslyingonthebed，acigarettebetweenhislips，anewspaperunderhisfeettopreventhisbootsfromspoilingthespread——oneofthemanysmallindicationsoftheprudence，thriftandcalculationthatunderlaythealmostinsanerecklessnessofhissurfacecharacter，andthatwouldsavehimfromlivingasthefoollivesanddyingasthefooldies。
“Ithoughtyouwouldn”tsloproundinthesestreetslong，“saidhe，asshepauseduponthethreshold。“SoIwaited。”
Shewenttothebureau，unlockedthetopdrawer，tooktheten-dollarbillshehadundersomeundershirtsthere，putitinherrightstockingwheretherewerealreadyafiveandatwo。
Shelockedthedrawer，tossedthekeyintoanopenboxofhairpins。Shemovedtowardthedoor。
“Whereareyougoing？“askedhe，stillstaringattheceiling。
“Out。I”vemadealmostnothingthisweek。”
“Sitdown。Iwanttotalktoyou。”
Shehesitated，seatedherselfonachairnearthebed。
Hefrownedather。“You”vebeendrinking？“
“Yes。”
“I”vebeendrinkingmyself，butI”vegotanoselikeahuntingdog。Whatdoyoudoitfor？“
“What”stheuseofexplaining？You”dnotunderstand。”
“PerhapsIwould。I”mone-fourthItalian——andtheyunderstandeverything……You”refondofreading，aren”tyou？“
“Itpassesthetime。”
“WhileIwaswaitingforyouIglancedatyournewbooks——Emerson——Dickens——Zola。”Hewaslookingtowardtherowofpaperbacksthatfilledalmostthewholelengthofthemantel。
“Imustreadthem。Ialwayslikeyourbooks。YouspendnearlyasmuchtimereadingasIdo——andyoudon”tneedit，foryou”vegotagoodeducation。Whatdoyoureadfor？Toamuseyourself？“
“No。”
“Togetawayfromyourself？“
“No。”
“Thenwhy？“persistedhe。
“Tofindoutaboutmyself。”
Hethoughtamoment，turnedhisfacetowardher。“You_are_
clever！“hesaidadmiringly。“What”syourgame？“
“Mygame？“
“Whatareyouaimingfor？You”vegottoomuchsensenottobeaimingforsomething。”
Shelookedathim；theexpressionthatmarkedherasapersonpeculiarandapartwasglowinginhereyeslikeabedofred-hotcoalscoveredwithashes。
“What？“herepeated。
“Togetstrong，“repliedshe。“Womenarebornweakandbredweaker。I”vegottogetoverbeingawoman。Forthereisn”tanyplaceinthisworldforawomanexceptundertheshelterofsomeman。AndIdon”twantthat。”Theunderlyingstrengthofherfeaturesabruptlycameintoview。“AndIwon”thaveit，“
sheadded。
Helaughed。“Butthemen”llneverlet_you_beanythingbutawoman。”
“We”llsee，“saidshe，smiling。Thestronglookhadvanishedintothesoftcontourofherbeautifulyouth。
“Personally，Ilikeyoubetterwhenyou”vebeendrinking，“hewenton。“You”resadwhenyou”resober。Asyoudrinkyoulivenup。”
“WhenIgetoverbeingsadifI”msober，whenIlearntotakethingsastheycome，justlikeaman——astrongman，thenI”llbe——”Shestopped。
“Bewhat？“
“Ready。”
“Readyforwhat？“
“HowdoIknow？“
Heswunghimselftoasittingposition。“Meanwhile，you”recomingtolivewithme。I”vebeenfightingagainstit，butI
giveup。Ineedyou。You”retheoneI”vebeenlookingfor。
Packyourtraps。I”llcallacabandwe”llgoovertomyflat。
Thenwe”llgotoRector”sandcelebrate。”
Sheshookherhead。“I”msorry，butIcan”t。”
“Whynot？“
“Itoldyou。There”ssomethinginmethatwon”tletme。”
Herose，walkedtoherverydeliberately。Hetookoneofherhandsfromherlap，drewhertoherfeet，puthishandsstronglyonhershoulders。“Youbelongtome，“hesaid，hislipssmilingcharmingly，butthedevilinthegleamofhiseyesandintheglisteningofhisbeautiful，cruelteeth。“Packup。”
“YouknowthatIwon”t。”
Heslowlycrushedherinhisarms，slowlypressedhislipsuponhers。Alowscreamissuedfromherlipsandsheseizedhimbythethroatwithbothhands，onehandovertheother，andthrusthimbackward。Hereeled，felluponhisbackonthebed；shefellwithhim，clungtohim——likeabulldog——notasifshewouldnot，butasifshecouldnot，letgo。Heclutchedatherfingers；failingtodislodgethem，hetriedtothrusthisthumbsintohereyes。Butsheseizedhisrightthumbbetweenherteethandbitintoituntiltheyalmostmet。Andatthesametimeherkneesgroundintohisabdomen。Hechoked，gurgled，grewdarkred，thengray，thenafaintblackishblue，laylimpunderher。Butshedidnotrelaxuntiltheblueofhisfacehaddeepenedtoblackandhiseyesbegantobulgefromtheirsockets。Atthosesignsthathewasbeyonddoubtunconscious，shecautiouslyrelaxedherfingers。Sheunclenchedherteeth；hisarm，whichhadbeenheldupbythethumbshewasbiting，droppedheavily。Shestoodoverhim，hereyesblazinginsanelyathim。Shesnatchedoutherhatpin，flunghiscoatandwaistcoatfromoverhischest，feltforhisheart。Withthemurderouseightinchesofthatslendersteelponiardpoisedforthedrive，shebegantosob，flungtheweaponaway，tookhisfacebetweenherhandsandkissedhim。
“Youfiend！Youfiend！“shesobbed。
Shechangedtoherplainestdress。Leavingtheblood-stainedblouseonthebedbesidehimwhereshehadflungitdownaftertearingitoff，sheturnedoutthelight，darteddownstairsandintothestreet。AtTimesSquareshetooktheSubwayfortheBowery。Tochangeone”sworld，oneneednottravelfarinNewYork；theoceanisnotsowideasisthegapbetweentheTenderloinandthelowerEastSide。VIII
SHEhadthoughtofescapedaily，hourlyalmost，fornearlyfivemonths。Shehadadvancednotaninchtowardit；butsheneverforaninstantlosthope。Shebelievedinherdestiny，feltwithallthestrengthofherhealthandvitalitythatshehadnotyetfoundherplaceintheworld，thatshewouldfindit，andthatitwouldbehigh。Now——shewascompelledtoescape，andthiswithonlyseventeendollarsandinthelittletimethatwouldelapsebeforePalmerreturnedtoconsciousnessandstartedinpursuit，bentuponcruelandcompleterevenge。
ShechangedtoanexpresstrainattheGrandCentralSubwaystation，lefttheexpressonimpulseatFourteenthStreet，tookalocaltoAstorPlace，thereascendedtothestreet。
ShewasfarindeedfromtheTenderloin，inaregionnotvisitedbythepeoplesheknew。AsforFreddie，heneverwentbelowFourtenthStreet，hatedthelowerEastSide，avoidedanyonefromthatregionofhisearlydays，nowshroudedinamysterythatwouldnotbedispelledwithhisconsent。Freddiewouldnotthinkofsearchingforherthere；andsoonhewouldbelieveshewasdead——drowned，andatthebottomofriverorbay。Asshesteppedfromtheexitoftheunderground，shesawinthesquarebeforeher，undertheSunsetCoxstatue，aSalvationArmycorpsholdingameeting。Sheheardacryfromthecenterofthecrowd：
“Thewagesofsinisdeath！“
Shedriftedintothefringeofthecrowdandglancedatthelittlegroupofexhortersandmusicians。Thewomanwhowaspreachinghadtakenthelifeofthestreetsashertext。Wellfedandwellcladandcertainofacleanroomtosleepin——certainofagoodliving，shewaspaintingthemoralhorrorsofthestreetlife。
“Thewagesofsinisdeath！“sheshouted。
ShecaughtSusan”seye，sawthecynical-bittersmileroundherlips。ForSusanhadthefeelingthat，unsuspectedbytheupperclasses，animatesthemassesastoclergyandcharityworkersofallkinds——muchthesamefeelingonewouldhavetowardtherobber”smessengerwhocamebringingfromhismasterasalovinggiftsomeworthlesstriflefromthestolengoods。Notfromclergy，notfromcharityworker，notfromthelifeofthepoorastheytakewhatisgiventhemwithhypocriticalcringeandtearofthanks，willtheupperclassesgetthetruthastowhatisthoughtofthembythemassesinthisdayofawakeningintelligenceandslowheavingofcrustssolongfirmthattheyhavecometoberegardedasbed-rockofsocialfoundation。
Criedthewoman，inresponsetoSusan”ssatiricallook：
“Youmockatthat，mylovelyyoungsister。Yourlipsarepainted，andtheysneer。ButyouknowI”mright——yes，youshowinyoureyesthatyouknowitinyourachingheart！Thewagesofsinis_death！_Isn”tthatso，sister？“
Susanshookherhead。
“Speakthetruth，sister！Godiswatchingyou。Thewagesofsinis_death！_“
“Thewagesofweaknessisdeath，“retortedSusan。“But——thewagesofsin——well，it”ssometimesahouseinFifthAvenue。”
AndthensheshrankawaybeforetheapprovinglaughterofthelittlecrowdandhurriedacrossintoEighthStreet。InthedeepshadowofthefrontofCooperUnionshepaused，asthemeaningofherownimpulsivewordscametoher。Thewagesofsin！Andwhatwassin，thesupremesin，butweakness？ItwasexactlyasBurlinghamhadexplained。Hehadsaidthat，whetherforgoodorforevil，reallytoliveonemustbestrong。Strong！
Whatagoodteacherhehadbeen——oneoftherarekindthatnotonlysaidthingsinterestinglybutalsosaidthemsothatyouneverforgot。Howbadlyshehadlearned！
ShestrolledonthroughEighthStreet，acrossThirdAvenueandintoSecondAvenue。Itwasteno”clock。Theeffectsoftheliquorshehaddrunkhadwornaway。Insomuchwanderingshehadacquiredthehabitofclosingupanepisodeoflifeasatravelerputsbehindhimtherailwayjourneyatitsend。ShewaslessthanhalfanhourfromherlifeintheTenderloin；itwasascompletelyinherpastasitwouldeverbe。Thecardshadoncemorebeenshuffled；anewdealwason。
Anewdeal。What？Toflytoanothercity——thatmeantanotherPalmer，orthemiseriesoftheunprotectedwomanofthestreets，orslaverytothemadmanofwhattheFrenchwithcruelironycalla_maisondejoie_。Toreturntowork——
Whatwasopentoher，educatedasthecomfortableclasseseducatetheirwomen？Workmeantthetenements。Sheloathedthefastlife，butnotassheloathedvermin-infectedtenements。Totoilalldayatamonotonoustask，thesametaskeverydayandalldaylong！TosleepatnightwithTuckerandthevermin！Tohernotionthesightsandsoundsandsmellsandpersonalcontactsofthetenementswerenolessvicious；
were——forheratleast——farmoredegradingthananythingintheTenderloinanditslike。Andthereshegotmoneytobuywhiskeythatwhirledheralmostendurably，sometimesevengayly，overtheworstthings——moneytobuyhours，wholedaysofrespitethatcouldbespentinbooks，indreamsandplannings，inthefreedomofacleanandcomfortableroom，oratthetheaterorconcert。Thereweredegreesinhorror；shewaspayingahatefulprice，butnotsohatefulasshehadpaidwhensheworked。Thewagesofshamewerenotsohardearnedasthewagesoftoil，werelarger，broughthermanyofthethingsshecraved。Thewagesoftoilbroughthernothingbuttherighttobareexistenceinfilthanddepravityanddarkness。Also，shefeltthatifsheweretieddowntosomedullandexhaustingemployment，shewouldbesettledanddonefor。Inafewyearsshewouldbeanoldwoman，withlesswagesorflungoutdiseasedormaimed——toliveonandonlikehundredsofwretchedoldcreaturesadrifteverywhereinthetenementstreets。No，workhadnothingtoofferherexcept“respectability。”Andwhatamockingwas“respectability，“inragsandfilth！
Besides，whathad_she_，theoutcastborn，todowiththisrespectability？
No——notwork——neveragain。Solongasshewasrovingabout，therewashopeandchancesomehowtobreakthroughintothetriumphantclassthatruledtheworld，thatdidthethingsworthwhile——worethegoodclothes，livedinthegoodhouses，atethegoodfood，baskedinthesunshineofart。
Eithershewouldsoaraboverespectability，orshewouldremainbeneathit。Respectabilitymightbeanexcellentthing；surelytheremustbesomemeritinathingaboutwhichtherewassomuchtalk，afterwhichtherewassomuchhankering，andtowhichtherewassuchdesperateclinging。Butasasolepossession，asasoleambition，itseemedthinandpoorandevenpitiful。Shehademancipatedherselffromitstyranny；
shewouldnotresumetheyoke。Amongsomanylacksofthegoodthingsoflifeitsgoodwouldnotbemissed。Perhaps，whenshehadgotafewotherofthegoodthingsshemighttrytoaddittothem——ormightfindherselfabletogetcomfortablyalongwithoutit，ashadGeorgeEliotandAspasia，GeorgeSandandDuseandBernhardtandsomanyoftheworld”scompanyofself-electedwomenmembersofthetriumphantclass。
Anewdeal！Andanewdealmeantatleastevenchanceforgoodluck。
AsshedrifteddownthewestsideofSecondAvenue，herthoughtssoabsorbedherthatshewasobliviousoftheslushysidewalk，evenofthecrossingswhereonehadtopickone”swayasthroughashallowcreekwithsteppingstoneshereandthere。
Thereweremanywomenalone，asineveryotheravenueandeveryfrequentedcrossstreetthroughoutthecity——womenmadeeagertodesperationbythelongstretchofimpossibleweather。
Everypassingmanwashailed，sometimesboldly，sometimessoftly。Againandagainthatgrotesquephrase“Let”sgohaveagoodtime“fellupontheears。Afterseveralblocks，whenherabsent-mindednesshadgotherlegswettothekneesintheshallowshinyslush，shewasrousedbythesoundofmusic——anorchestraplayingandplayingwellalivelyHungariandance。
Shewasstandingbeforethewintergardenfromwhichthesoundscame。Assheopenedthedoorshewasgreetedbyarushofwarmairpleasantlyscentedwithfreshtobaccosmoke，theodorsofspiceddrinksandoffood，pastrypredominating。Someofthetableswerecoveredreadyforthosewhowouldwishtoeat；butmanyofthemwereforthedrinkers。Thelarge，low-ceilingedroomwascomfortablyfilled。Therewerebutafewwomenandtheyseemedtobewivesorsweethearts。Susanwasabouttoretreatwhenawaiter——oneofthoseAustrianswhoseheadsendabruptlyaninchorsoabovetheeyebrowsandwhosechinssoonshadeoffintoneck——advancedsmilinglywithapolite，“Weserveladieswithoutescorts。”
Shechoseatablethathadseveralothervacanttablesroundit。Ontherecommendationofthewaitersheordereda“burningdevil“；heassuredhershewouldfinditdeliciousandtheverythingforacoldslushynight。Atthefarendoftheroomonalowplatformsattheorchestra。Amaninaneveningsuitmanysizestoolargeforhimsanginastrong，notdisagreeabletenoraGermansongthatdrewloudapplauseattheendofeachstanza。The“burningdevil“came——analmostblackmixtureinalargeheavyglass。Thewaitertouchedamatchtoit，anditwasatoncewreathedinpaleflickeringflamesthathoveredlikebutterflies，nowrisingasiftofloataway，nowlightlydescendingtoflitoverthesurfaceoftheliquidortodancealongtheedgeoftheglass。
“WhatshallIdowithit？“saidSusan。
“Waittillitgoesout，“saidthewaiter。“Thendrink，asyouwouldanythingelse。”Andhewasofftoattendtothewantsofagroupofcardplayersafewfeetaway。
Susantouchedherfingertotheglass，whentheflamesuddenlyvanished。Shefounditwasnottoohottodrink，touchedherlipstoit。Thetaste，sweetish，suggestiveofcoffeeandofbrandyandofburntsugar，wasagreeable。Sheslowlysippedit，delightinginthesensationofwarmth，ofcomfort，ofwellbeingthatspeedilydiffusedthroughher。Thewaitercametoreceiveherthanksforhisadvice。Shesaidtohim：
“Doyouhavewomensing，too？“
“Oh，yes——whenwecanfindagood-lookerwithavoice。Ourcustomersknowmusic。”
“IwonderifIcouldgetatrial？“
Thewaiterwasinterestedatonce。“Perhaps。Yousing？“
“Ihavesungonthestage。”
“I”llasktheboss。”
Hewenttothecounternearthedoorwherestoodashortthick-setJewoftheEastEuropeansnub-nosedtypeinearnestconversationwithaseatedblondewoman。Sheshowedthatskillatclingingtoyouthwhichamongthelowermiddleandlowerclassesprettyclearlyindicatesatleastsomeexperienceatthefastlife。Foronlyintheupperanduppermiddleclassdoesarespectablewomanventurethustoadvertisesosuspiciousaguestwithinasadesiretobeagreeableinthesightofmen。Susanwatchedthewaiterashespoketotheproprietor，sawtheproprietor”simpatientshakeofthehead，sentoutawaveofgratitudefromherheartwhenherwaiterfriendpersisted，compelledtheproprietortolooktowardher。
Sheaffectedanairofunconsciousness；infact，shewasposingasifbeforeacamera。Herheartleapedwhenoutofthecornerofhereyeshesawtheproprietorcomingwiththewaiter。Thetwopausedathertable，andtheproprietorsaidinasharp，impatientvoice：
“Well，lady——whatisit？“
“Iwantatrialasasinger。”
Theproprietorwasscanningherfeaturesandherfigurewhichwaswelldisplayedbythetight-fittingjacket。Theresultseemedsatisfactory，forinavoiceoilywiththesofteninginfluenceoffemininecharmuponmale，hesaid：
“You”vehadexperience？“
“Yes——alotofit。ButIhaven”tsunginabouttwoyears。”
“SingGerman？“
“OnlyballadsinEnglish。ButIcanlearnanything。”
“English”lldo——_if_youcan_sing_。Whatcostumedoyouwear？“
Andtheproprietorseatedhimselfandmotionedthewaiteraway。
“Ihavenocostume。AsItoldyou，I”venotbeensinginglately。”
“We”vegotonethatmightfit——ashortbluesilkskirt——lowneckandbluestockings。Slipperstoo，buttheymightbetight——Iforgetthenumber。”
“Ididwearthrees。ButI”vedoneagreatdealofwalking。I
wearafivenow。”Susanthrustoutafootandankle，forsheknewthatdespitetheovershoetheyweregoodtolookat。
Theproprietornoddedapprovinglyandtherewasthenoteofpersonalinterestinhisvoiceashesaid：“Theycantryyourvoicetomorrowmorning。Comeatteno”clock。”
“Ifyoudecidetotryme，whatpaywillIget？“
Theproprietorsmiledslyly。“Oh，wedon”tpayanythingtothesingers。Thatmanwhosang——hegetshisboardhere。Heworksinafactoryasabookkeeperinthedaytime。Lotsoftheatricalandmusicalpeoplecomehere。Ifamanoragirlcandoanystuntworthwhile，there”sachance。”
“I”dhavetohavesomethingmorethanboard，“saidSusan。
Theproprietorfrowneddownathisstubbyfingerswhoseblackandcrackednailsweredrummingonthetable。“Well——Imightgiveyouabed。There”saplaceIcouldputoneinmydaughter”sroom。ShesingsanddancesoveratLouisBlanc”sgardeninThirdAvenue。Yes，Icouldputyouthere。But——noprivileges，youunderstand。”
“Certainly……I”lldecidetomorrow。Maybeyou”llnotwantme。”
“Oh，yes——ifyoucansingatall。Yourlooks”dpleasemycustomers。”SeeingthedubiousexpressioninSusan”sface，hewenton，“WhenIsay`noprivilege”Imeanonlyabouttheroom。
Ofcourse，it”snoneofmybusinesswhatyoudooutside。Lotsofwellfixedgentscomeshere。Mygirlshaveallhadgoodluck。I”vebeenopentwoyears，andinthattimeoneofmysingersgotanelegantdelicatessenownertokeepher。”
“Really，“saidSusan，inthetonethatwasplainlyexpectedofher。
“Yes——an_elegant_gentleman。I”dnotbesurprisedifhemarriedher。Andanothermarriedanelectricianthatcopsoutfortyaweek。You”llfinditasplendidchancetomakenicefriends——goodspenders。AndI”mapracticalman。”
“Isupposethereisn”tanyworkIcoulddointhedaytime？“
“Nothere。”
“Perhaps——”
“Notnowhere，sofarasIknow。Thatis，workyou”dcaretodo。Thefactoriesandstoresishardonawoman，andshedon”tgetmuch。Andbesidestheyain”tveryclassytomynotion。Ofcourse，ifawomanain”tgotlooksorsenseoranytonetoher，ifshe”ssatisfiedtoliveinabumtenementandmarrysomedubthatcan”tmakenothing，why，that”sdifferent。Butyoulooklikeawomanthathadbeenusedtosomethingandwantedtogetsomewhere。Iwouldn”thavelet_my_daughtergointonosuchlow，foolishlife。”
Shehadintendedtoaskaboutaplacetostopforthenight。
Shenowdecidedthatthesuggestionthatshewashomelessmightpossiblyimpairherchances。Aftersomefurtherconversation——theproprietorrepeatingwhathehadalreadysaid，andrepeatingitinaboutthesamelanguage——shepaidthewaiterfifteencentsforthedrinkandatipoffivecentsoutofthechangeshehadinherpurse，anddeparted。Ithadcloudedover，andamisty，dismalrainwastricklingthroughthesaturatedairtoaddtothemessinessofthechurnofcoldslush。SusanwentondownSecondAvenue。OnacornernearitslowerendshesawaRainesLawhotelwithawnings，indicatingthatitwasnotmerelyablindtogiveasaloonahotellicensebutwasactuallyopenforbusiness。Shewentintothe“family“entranceofthesaloon，wasaloneinasmallcleansitting-roomwithaslidingwindowbetweenitandthebar。A
toughbutnotunpleasantyoungfaceappearedatthewindow。Itwasthebartender。
“Evening，cutie，“saidhe。“What”llyouhave？“
“Someryewhiskey，“repliedSusan。“MayIsmokeacigarettehere？“
“Sure，goasfarasyoulike。Ten-centwhiskey——orfifteen？“
“Fifteen——unlessit”soutofthesamebottleastheten。”
“Callitten——seeingasyouarealady。I”vegotasoftheartforyouladies。I”vegotawifeinthebusiness，myself。”
Whenhecameinatthedoorwiththedrink，ayoungmanfollowedhim——agood-looking，darkishyouth，welldressedinareadymadesuitofthebestsort。AtsecondglanceSusansawthathewasatleastpartlyofJewishblood，enoughtoelevatehisfaceabovetheratherdulltypewhichpredominatesamongclerksandmerchantsoftheChristianraces。Hehadsmall，shiftyeyes，anattractivesmile，amannerofassuranceborderingoninsolence。HedroppedintoachairatSusan”stablewitha，“Youdon”tmindhavingadrinkonme。”
AsSusanhadnomoneytospare，sheacquiesced。Shesaidtothebartender，“Iwanttogetaroomhere——aplainroom。Howmuch？“
“Maybethisgent”llhelpyouout，“saidthebartenderwithagrinandawink。“He”sgotmoneytoburn——andburnsit。”
Thebartenderwithdrew。Theyoungmanstruckamatchandhelditforhertolightthecigaretteshetookfromherpurse。
Thenhelitonehimself。“Nexttimetryoneofmine，“saidhe。
“Iget”emofafellowthatmakesfortheswellestuptownhouses。ButIget”emtencentsapackageinsteadofforty。
Ihaven”tseenyoudownherebefore。Whatagoodskinyou”vegot！It”sbeenalongtimesinceI”veseenaskinasfineasthat，exceptonababynowandthen。Andthatshapeofyoursisallright，too。Isupposeit”stherealgoods？“
Withthatheleanedacrossthetableandputhishanduponherbosom。Shedrewbackindifferently。
“Youdon”tgiveanythingfornothing——eh？“laughedhe。“Beeninthebusinesslong？“
“Itseemslong。”
“Itain”twhatitusedtobe。Thecompetition”sgettingtobesomethingfierce。Looksasifalltherespectablegirlsandmostofthemarriedwomenwerecomingouttolookforalittleextramoney。Well——whynot？“
Susanshruggedhershoulders。“Whynot？“echoedshecarelessly。
Shedidnotlookforwardwithpleasuretobeingalone。Themanwascleanandwelldressed，andhadanunusualamountofpersonalcharmthatsoftenedhisimpertinenceofmanner。
Evidentlyhehasthehabitofsuccesswithwomen。Shemuchpreferredhimsittingwithhertoherowndepressingsociety。
Sosheacceptedhisinvitation。Shetookoneofhiscigarettes，anditwasasgoodashehadsaid。Herattledon，minglingfrankcoarsecomplimentswithtalkabout“thebusiness“fromastandpointsopracticalthatshebegantosuspecthewassomehowinithimself。Heclearlybelongedtothosemoreintelligentchildrenoftheupperclasstenementpeople，thechildrenwhoaretoobrightandtoowelleducatedtobecomeworkingmenandworkingwomenliketheirparents；theyrefusetodoanykindofmanuallabor，asitcouldneverinthemostfavorablecircumstancespaywellenoughtogivethemthehighercomfortstheycrave，theexpensivecomfortswhicheverymerchantisinsistentlyandtemptinglythrustingatapublicforthemostparttoopoortobuy；sotheseclevererchildrenoftheworkingclassdevelopintoshysterlawyers，politicians，sports，prostitutes，unlesschancethrowsintotheirwaysomerespectablemeansofgettingmoney。Vaguelyshewondered——withoutcaringtoquestionorguesswhatparticularformofactivitythisyoungmanhadtakeninavoidingmonotonousworkatsmallpay。
Afterherseconddrinkcameshefoundthatshedidnotwantit。
Shefelttiredandsleepyandwishedtogetherwetstockingsoffandtodryherskirtwhich，forallhercarefulholdingup，hadnotescapedthefateofwhateverwasexposedtothatabominablenight。“I”mgoingalongwithyou，“saidtheyoungmanassherose。“Here”stoourbetteracquaintance。”
“Thanks，butIwanttobealone，“repliedsheaffably。And，nottoseemunappreciativeofhiscourtesy，shetookasmalldrinkfromherglass。Ittastedveryqueer。Sheglancedsuspiciouslyattheyoungman。Herlegsgrewsuddenlyandstrangelyheavy。herheartbegantobeatviolently，andablackfogseemedtobeclosinginuponhereyes。Throughitshesawtheyouthgrinningsardonically。Andinstantlysheknew。“WhatafoolIam！“shethought。
Shehadbeentrappedbyanotherformoftheslavesystem。Thismanwasarecruitingsergeantforhousesofprostitution——wasoneofthe“cadets。”Theysearchthetenementdistrictsforgood-lookinggirlsandyoungwomen。Theyhangaboutthestreetcorners，flirting。Theyattendtheballswheregotheyoungpeopleofthelowermiddleclassandupperlowerclass。Theylearntomakeloveseductively；theyunderstandhowtotemptagirl”slongingforfinery，foraneasierlife，herdreamofahusbandaboveherclassinlooksandinearningpower。Andforeachrecruit“brokenin“andhardenedtothepointofwillingnesstogointoasportinghouse，theygetfromtheproprietortentotwenty-fivedollarsaccordingtoheryouthandbeauty。Susanknewallaboutthesystem，hadheardstoriesofitfromthelipsofgirlswhohadbeenembarkedthroughit——embarkedalittlesoonerthantheywouldhaveembarkedunderthelashofwant，orofthatotherandalmostequallycompellingbrute，desireforthecomfortsandluxuriesthatmeandecentliving。Susanknew；yethereshewas，becauseofanunguardedmoment，andbecauseofasenseofsecuritythroughexperience——hereshewas，succumbingtoknockoutdropsaseasilyasthemostinnocentchildluredawayfromitsmother”sdoortogetasauceroficecream！Shetriedtorise，toscream，thoughsheknewanysucheffortwasfutile。
Withagaspandasighherheadfellforwardandshewasunconscious。
Sheawakenedinasmall，ratherdingyroom。Shewaslyingonherbackwithonlystockingson。Beyondthefootofthebedwasalittlebureauatwhichaman，backfulltoher，stoodintrousersandshirtsleevestyinghisnecktie。Shesawthathewasaroughlookingman，coarselydressed——anartisanorsmallshop-keeper。Usedasshewastotheprofoundindifferenceofmenofallclassesanddegreesofeducationandintelligencetowhatthewomanthought——usedasshewastothissensualselfishnesswhichmenatleastinpartconcealfromtheirrespectablewives，Susanfeltahorrorofthismanwhohadnotmindedherunconsciousness。Herheadwasachingsofiercelythatshehadnotthecouragetomove。Presentlythemanturnedtowardherakindly，beardedface。Butshewasusedtothemanofgeneralgoodcharacterwhowithlittleshameandnohesitationbecamebeastbeforeher，thefreewoman。
“Hello，pretty！“criedhe，genially。“Sleptoffyourjag，haveyou？“
Hewasputtingonhiscoatandwaistcoat。Hetookfromthewaistcoatpocketadollarbill。“You”reapeach，“saidhe。
“I”llcomeagain，nexttimemyoldladygoesoffguard。”Hemadethebillintoapellet，droppeditonherbreast。“A
littlepresentforyou。Putitinyourstockinganddon”tletthemadamgrabit。”
WithagroanSusanliftedherselftoasittingposition，drewthespreadabouther——agestureofinstinctratherthanofconsciousmodesty。“Theydruggedmeandbroughtmehere，“saidshe。“Iwantyoutohelpmegetout。”
“GoodLord！“criedtheman，instantlyalla-quiverwithnervousness。“I”mamarriedman。Idon”twanttogetmixedupinthis。”Andoutoftheroomhebolted，closingthedoorbehindhim。
Susansmiledatherselfsatirically。Afterallherexperience，tomakethissillyappeal——shewhoknewmen！“Imustbegettingfeeble-minded，“thoughtshe。Then——
Herclothes！Withaglanceshesweptthelittleroom。Nocloset！Herownclothesgone！Onthechairbesidethebedafast-houseparlordressofpinkcottonsilk，andakindofabbreviatedchemise。Thestockingsonherlegswerenotherown，butwereofpinkcotton，silkfinished。Apairofpinksatinslippersstoodonthefloorbesidethetwogalvanizedironwashbasins。
Thedooropenedandaburlyman，dressedincheapready-madeclothesbutwithanairofauthorityandprosperity，wassmilingather。“Themadamtoldmetowalkrightinandmakemyselfathome，“saidhe。“Yes，you”reuptoheraccountofyou。Onlyshesaidyouweredeaddrunkandwouldprobablybeasleep。Now，honey，youtreatmerightandI”lltreatyouright。”
“Getoutofhere！“criedSusan。“I”mgoingtoleavethishouse。Theydruggedmeandbroughtmehere。”
“Oh，comenow。I”vegotnothingtodowithyourquarrelswiththelandlady。Cutthosefairytalesout。Youtreatmerightand——”
Afewminuteslaterincamethemadam。Susan，exhausted，sick，layinertinthemiddleofthebed。Shefixedhergazeupontheeyeslookingthroughthehideousmaskofpaintandpowderpartiallyconcealingthemadam”sface。
“Well，areyougoingtobeagoodgirlnow？“saidthemadam。
“Iwanttosleep，“saidSusan。
“Allright，mydear。”Shesawandsnatchedthefive-dollarbillfromthepillow。“It”llgotowardpayingyourboardandfortheparlordress。God，butyouwasdrunkwhentheybroughtyouupfromthebar！“
“Whenwasthat？“askedSusan。
“Aboutmidnight。It”snearlyfournow。We”veshutthehouseforthenight。You”reinafirst-ratehouse，mydear，andifyoubehaveyourself，you”llmakemoney——alotmorethanyouevercouldatadivelikeZeist”s。Ifyoudon”tbehavewell，we”llteachyouhow。Thisbuildingbelongstooneofthebigmeninpolitics，andhelooksaftermyinterests——andheoughtto，consideringtherentIpay——fivehundredamonth——forthethreeupperfloors。Thebar”sletseparate。Wouldyoulikeanicedrink？“
“No，“saidSusan。Trapped！Hopelesslytrapped！Andshewouldneverescapeuntil，diseased，herlooksgone，ruinedinbodyandsoul，shewascastoutintothehospitalandthegutter。
“AsIwassaying，“venturedthemadam，“youmightaswellsettledownquietly。”
“I”mverywellsatisfied，“saidSusan。“Isupposeyou”llgivemeasquaredealonwhatImake。”Shelaughedquietlyasifsecretlyamusedatsomething。“Infact，Iknowyouwill，“sheaddedinatoneofamusedconfidence。
“Assoonasyou”vepaidupyourtwenty-fiveaweekforroomandboardandthefiftyfortheparlordress——”
Susaninterruptedherwithalaugh。“Oh，comeoff，“saidshe。
“I”llnotstandforthat。I”llgobacktoJimFinnegan。”
Theoldwoman”seyespouncedforherfaceinstantly。“DoyouknowFinnegan？“
“I”mhisgirl，“saidSusancarelessly。Shestretchedherselfandyawned。“Igotmadathimandstartedoutforsomefun。
He”saregulardamnfoolaboutme。ButI”msickofhim。
Anythingbutajealousman！AndspiedoneverywhereIgo。HowmuchcanImakehere？“
“Ain”tyoufromZeist”s？“demandedthemadam。Hervoicewasquiveringwithfright。Shedidnotdarebelievethegirl；shedidnotdaredisbelieveher。
“Zeist”s？What”sthat？“saidSusanindifferently。
“Thejointtwoblocksdown。Hasn”tJoeBishophadyouinthereforacoupleofmonths？“
Susanyawned。“Lord，howmyheaddoesache！Who”sJoeBishop？
I”mdeadtotheworld。Imusthavehadanawfuljag！“Sheturnedonherside，drewthespreadoverher。“Iwanttosleep。Solong！“
“Didn”tyourunawayfromhomewithJoeBishop？“demandedthemadamshrilly。“Anddidn”theputyoutoworkforZeist？“
“Who”sJoeBishop？Where”sZeist”s？“Susansaid，crossandyawning。
“I”vebeenwithJimaboutayear。Hetookmeoffthestreet。
Iwasbrokeinfiveyearsago。”
Themadamgaveakindofhowl。“AndthatJoeBishopgottwenty-fiveoffme！“shescreamed。“Andyou”reFinnegan”sgirl，andhe”llmaketroubleforme。”
“He”sgotanastystreakinhim，“saidSusan，drowsily。“HeputmeontheIslandonceforalittlesidetripImade。”Shelaughed，yawned。“Buthesentandgotmeoutintwodays——andgavemeapresentofahundred。It”sfunnyhowaman”llmakeafoolofhimselfaboutawoman。Putoutthelight。”
“No，Iwon”tputoutthelight，“shriekedthemadam。“Youcan”tworkhere。I”mgoingtotelephoneJimFinnegantocomeandgetyou。”
Susanstartedupangrily，asifshewerehalf-crazedbydrink。
“Ifyoudo，youoldhag，“shecried，“I”lltellhimyoudopedmeandsetthesemenonme。I”lltellhimaboutJoeBishop。
AndJim”llsendthewholebunchofyoutothepen。I”llnotgobacktohimtillIgetgoodandready。Andthatmeans，Iwon”tgobackatall，nomatterwhatheoffersme。”Shebegantocryinamaudlinway。“Ihatehim。I”mtiredoflivingasifI
wasbackintheconvent。”
Themadamstood，heavingtoandfroandblowinglikeachainedelephant。“Idon”tknowwhattodo，“shewhined。“IwishJoeBishopwasinhell。”
“I”mgoingtogetoutofhere，“shriekedSusan，ravingandblazingagainandwavingherarms。“Youdon”tknowagoodthingwhenyougetit。Whatkindofabumjointisthis，anyway？Where”smyclothes？Theymustbedrybythistime。”
“Yes——yes——they”redry，mydear，“whinedthemadam。“I”llbring”emtoyou。”
Andoutshewaddled，returninginamomentwithherarmsfulloftheclothing。ShefoundSusaninthebedandnestlingcomfortablyintothepillows。“Hereareyourclothes，“shecried。
“No——Iwanttosleep，“wasSusan”sanswerinacross，drowsytone。“IthinkI”llstay。Youwon”ttelephoneJim。Butwhenhefindsme，I”lltellhimtogotothedevil。”
“ForGod”ssake！“wailedthemadam。“Ican”tletyouworkhere。Youdon”twanttoruinme，doyou？“
Susansatup，rubbedhereyes，yawned，brushedherhairback，putasly，smilinglookintoherface。“Howmuch”llyougivemetogo？“sheasked。“Where”sthefifteenthatwasinmystocking？“
“I”vegotitforyou，“saidthemadam。
“HowmuchdidImaketonight？“
“Therewasthreeatfiveapiece。”
Three！——notonlythetwo，butathirdwhileshelayinadeadstupor。Susanshivered。
“Yourshare”sfourdollars，“continuedthemadam。
“Isthatall！“criedSusan，jeering。“Abumjoint！Oh，there”smyfivethemangavemeasapresent。”
“Yes——yes，“quaveredthemadam。
“Andanothermangavemeadollar。”Shelookedround。“Wherethedevilisit？“Shefounditinafoldofthespread。“Thenyouowemetwentyaltogether，countingthemoneyIhadonme。”
Sheyawned。“Idon”twanttogo！“sheprotested，pausinghalfwayintakingoffthesecondpinkstocking。Thenshelaughed。“Lord，whathellJimwillraiseifhefindsIspentthenightworkinginthishouse。Whyisitthat，assoonasmenbegintocareforawoman，theygetprimabouther？“
“Dogetdressed，dear，“wheedledthemadam。
“Idon”tseewhyIshouldgoatthistimeofnight，“objectedSusanpettishly。“What”llyougivemeifIgo？“
Themadamutteredagroan。
“YousayyoupaidJoeBishoptwenty-five——”
“I”llkillhim！“shriekedthemadam。“He”sruinedme——ruinedme！“
“Oh，he”sallright，“saidSusancheerfully。“Ilikehim。
He”saprettylittlefellow。I”llnotgivehimawaytoJim。”
“Joewasdeadstuckonyou，“criedthemadameagerly。“I
might”a”knowedhehadn”tseenyoubefore。Ihadtopayhimthetwenty-fiverightaway，togethimoutofthehouseandletmeputyoutowork。Hewantedtostayon。”
Susanshivered，laughedtohideit。“Well，I”llgofortwenty-five。”
“Twenty-five！“shriekedthemadam。
“You”llgetitbackfromJoe。”
“MaybeIwon”t。He”sadog——adirtydog。”
“IthinkItoldJoeaboutJim，“saidSusanreflectively。“I
wasawfulgabbydownstairs。Yes——Itoldhim。”
Andherloweredeyesgleamedwithsatisfactionwhenthemadamcriedout：“Youdid！Andafterthathebroughtyouhere！
He”sgotitinforme。ButI”llruinhim！I”lltearhimup！“
Susandressedwiththeutmostdeliberation，themadamurginghertomakehaste。Aftersomeargument，Susanyieldedtothemadam”spleadingsandcontentedherselfwiththetwentydollars。ThemadamherselfescortedSusandowntotheoutsidedoorandslatheredherwithsweetnessandpoliteness。Therainhadstoppedagain。SusanwentupSecondAvenueslowly。Twoblocksfromthedivefromwhichshehadescaped，shesankdownonastoopandfainted。IX
THEdashofcoldraindropsuponherfaceandthechillofmoisturesoakingthroughherclothingrevivedher。Throughoutthewholerangeoflife，wheneverweresistwesuffer。AsSusandraggedheraching，coldwetbodyupfromthatstoop，itseemedtoherthateachtimesheresistedthepenaltygrewheavier。Couldshehavebeenmorewretchedhadsheremainedinthatdive？Fromherfirstrebellionthatdroveheroutofheruncle”shousehadsheeverbetteredherselfbyresisting？Shehadgonefrombadtoworse，fromworsetoworst。
Worst？“This_must_betheworst！“shethought。“SurelytherecanbenolowerdepththanwhereIamnow。”Andthensheshudderedandhersoulreeled。Hadshenotthoughtthisateachshelfoftheprecipicedownwhichshehadbeenfalling？
“Hasitabottom？Istherenobottom？“
Wetthrough，tiredthrough，sheputupherumbrellaandforcedherselffeeblyalong。“WhereamIgoing？WhydoInotkillmyself？Whatisitthatdrivesmeonandon？“
Therecamenodirectanswertothatlastquestion。Butupfromthosedeepvastreservoirsofvitalitythatseemedsufficientwhateverthedrainuponthem——upfromthosereservoirswelledstrengthandthatunfalteringwilltolivewhichbreathesuponthecorpseofhopeandquickensit。Andshehadasenseofaninvisiblebeing，apowerthathadherincharge，adestiny，walkingbesideher，holdingupherdroopingstrength，compellinghertowardsomegoalhiddeninthefogandthestorm。
AtEighthStreetsheturnedwest；atThirdAvenueshepaused，waitingforchancetodirecther。WasitnotlikethemaliciousnessoffatethatinthecitywhoserarelyinterruptedreignofjoyoussunshinemadehercallitthecityoftheSunhercriticalturnofchanceshouldhavefalleninfoulweather？
Evidentlyfatewasresolvedonathoroughtestofherendurance。Intheopensquare，nearthePeterCooperstatue，stoodahugeall-nightlunchwagon。Shemovedtowardit，forshesuddenlyfelthungry。Itwasdrawntothecurb；ashortflightofladderstepsledtoaninteriorattractivetosightandsmell。Shehaltedatthefootofthestepsandlookedin。
Theonlyoccupantwasthemanincharge。Inawhitecoathewasleaninguponthecounter，readinganewspaperwhichlayflatuponit。Hisbentheadwasextensivelyandroughlythatchedwithblackhairsothickthattodrawacombthroughitwouldhavebeenallbutimpossible。AsSusanletdownherumbrellaandbegantoascend，heliftedhisheadandgaveherafullviewofahumorousyoungface，bushyofeyebrowsandmustacheanddarklystainedbyhisbeard，closeshaventhoughitwas。HelookedlikeaSpaniardoranItalian，buthewasablackIrishman，oneoftheWestcoasterswhorecallintheireyesandcoloringthewreckingoftheArmada。
“Goodmorning，lady，“saidhe。“Breakfastorsupper？“
“Both，“repliedSusan。“I”mstarved。”
Theairwasgratefullywarminthelittlerestaurantonwheels。
Thedominantodorwasofhotcoffee；butthataromawascarriedtoastillhigherdelightbyasuggestionofpastry。“ThebestthingI”vegot，“saidtherestaurantman，“ishotcornbeefhash。It”ssogoodIhatetoletanyofitgo。Youcanhavegriddlecakes，too——andcoffee，ofcourse。”
“Verywell，“saidSusan。
Shewasascendinguponawaveofreactionfromtheeventsofthenight。Herheadachehadgone。Therainbeatingupontheroofseemedmusicaltohernow，inthiswarmshelterwithitscertaintyofthefoodshecraved。
Theyoungmanwasbusyattheshiny，compactstove；theodorsofthegoodthingsshewaspresentlytohavegrewstrongerandstronger，stimulatingherhunger，bringingjoytoherheartandasmiletohereyes。Shewonderedatherself。Afterwhatshehadpassedthrough，howcouldshefeelthushappy——yes，positivelyhappy？Itseemedtoherthiswasanindicationofalackinhersomewhere——ofseriousness，ofsensibility，ofsheknewnotwhat。Sheoughttobeashamedofthatlack。Butshewasnotashamed。Shewassheddinghertroubleslikeachild——orlikeaphilosopher。
“Doyoulikehash？“inquiredtherestaurantmanoverhisshoulder。
“Justasyou”remakingit，“saidshe。“Drybutnottoodry。
Brownbutnottoobrown。”
“Youdon”tthinkyou”dlikeapoachedeggontopofit？“
“ExactlywhatIwant！“
“Itisn”teverybodythatcanpoachanegg，“saidtherestaurantman。“Anditisn”teveryeggthatcanbepoached。Now，myeggsaretherealthing。AndIcanpoach”emsoyou”dthinktheywasdonewithoneofthempoachingmachines。Idon”thave”emwiththeyellowonaslabofwhite。Idoitsothatthewhite”sallroundtheyellow，likeintheshell。AndIkeep”emtender，too。Didyousayoneeggorapair？“
“Two，“saidSusan。
Thedisheswerethick，butcleanandwhole。Thehash”drybutnottoodry，brownbutnottoobrown“——wasartisticallyarrangedonitsplatter，andthetwoeggsthatadorneditstopwerepreciselyashehadpromised。Thecoffee，boiledwiththemilk，wasrealcoffee，too。Whentherestaurantmanhadsetthesethingsbeforeher，asshesatexpectantonastool，heviewedhishandiworkwithadmiringeyes。
“Delmonicocouldn”tbeatit，“saidhe。“No，norOscar，neither。That”lltakethetiredlookoutofyourface，lady，andbringthebeautyback。”
Susanateslowly，listeningtothemusicofthebeatingrain。
Itwaslikeanoasis，arestfulhaltbetweentwostretchesofdesertjourney；shewishedtomakeitaslongaspossible。
Onlythosewholiveexposedtolife”sbuffetingseverlearntoenjoytothefullthegreatlittlepleasuresoflife——thehalcyonpausesinthestorms——thefewbrightraysthroughthebreakintheclouds，thejoyoffoodafterhunger，ofabathafterdaysofprivation，ofajestorasmilingfaceorakindwordordeedafterdarknessandbitternessandcontempt。Shesawtherestaurantman”seyesonher，acuriousexpressioninthem。
“What”sthematter？“sheinquired。
“Iwasthinking，“saidhe，“howmiserableyoumusthavebeentobesohappynow。”
“Oh，Iguessnoneofushasanytooeasyatime，“saidshe。
“Butit”smightyhardonwomen。Iusedtothinkdifferent，beforeIhadbadluckandgotdowntotendingthislunchwagon。
ButnowIunderstandaboutalotofthings。It”sallverywellforcomfortablepeopletotalkaboutwhatamanorawomanoughttodoandoughtn”ttodo。Butlet”embeslammedupagainstit。They”dsingadifferentsong——wouldn”tthey？“
“Quitedifferent，“saidSusan。
Themanwavedagriddlespoon。“Itellyou，wedowhatwe”vegottodo。Yes——thethievesand——and——allofus。Some”susedforfoundationsandsomeforroofingandsomeforinsidefancyworkandsomeforoutsidewall。Andsome”susedfortherubbishheap。Butall”sused。Theydowhatthey”vegottodo。
IwasagreathandatworryingwhatIwasgoingtobeusedfor。
ButIdon”tbotheraboutitanymore。”Hebegantopourthegriddlecakedough。“IthinkI”llgetthere，though，“saidhedoggedly，asifheexpectedtobederidedforvanity。
“Youwill，“saidSusan。
“I”mtwenty-nine。ButI”vebeenbeinggotreadyforsomething。
Theydon”tchipawayatastoneastheyhaveatmewithoutintendingtomakesomeuseofit。”
“No，indeed，“saidthegirl，hopeandfaithwellingupinherownheart。
“Andwhat”smore，I”vestoodthechipping。Iain”tbecomerubbish；I”mstillagoodstone。That”spromising，ain”tit？“
“It”sasuresign，“declaredSusan。Sureforherself，nolessthanforhim。
Therestaurantmantookfromunderthecounterseveralwell-wornschoolbooks。Heheldthemup，lookedatSusanandwinked。“Goodbusiness——eh？“
Shelaughedandnodded。Heputthebooksbackunderthecounter，finishedthecakesandservedthem。Ashegavehermorebutterhesaid：
“Itain”tthebestbutter——notbyalongshot。Butit”sgood——asgoodasyougetontheaveragefarm——orbetter。Didyouevereatthebestbutter？“
“Idon”tknow。I”vehadsomethatwasverygood。”
“Eightycentsapound？“
“Mercy，no，“exclaimedSusan。
“Awfulprice，isn”tit？Butworththemoney——yes，sir！Sometimewhenyou”vegotalittlechangetospare，gogethalfapoundatoneoftheswellgroceriesordairies。Andthebestmilk，too。Twelvecentsaquart。WaittillIgetmoney。I”llshow”emhowtolive。Iwasborninatenement。Neverhadnothing。Ragstowear，andfoodonenotchaboveagarbagebarrel。”
“Iknow，“saidSusan。
“ButevenasaboyIwantedthehigh-classthings。It”swantingthebestthatmakesamanpushhiswayup。”
Anothercustomercame——akeeperofabutchershop，onhiswaytomarket。Susanfinishedthecakes，paidthefortycentsandpreparedtodepart。“I”mlookingforahotel，“saidshetotherestaurantman，“onewherethey”lltakemeinatthistime，butonethat”ssafenotadive。”
“Rightacrossthesquarethere”saSalvationArmyshelter——verygood——clean。IDon”tknowofanyotherplaceforalady。”
“There”sahotelonthenextcorner，“putinthebutcher，suspendingtheviolentsmackingandsippingwhichattendedhistakingrollsandcoffee。“Itain”tneithertheonethingnortheother。It”scleanandcheap，andthey”llletyoubehaveifyouwantto。”
“That”sallIask，“saidthegirl。“Thankyou。”Andshedeparted，afteranexchangeoffriendlyglanceswiththerestaurantman。“Ifeellotsbetter，“saidshe。
“Itwasagoodbreakfast，“repliedhe。
“Thatwasonlypart。Goodluck！“
“Sametoyou，lady。Callagain。Trymychops。”
AtthecornerthebutcherhadindicatedSusanfoundtheusualRainesLawhotel，adjuncttoasaloonandopentoallcomers，however“transient。”Butshetookthebutcher”swordforit，engagedadollar-and-a-halfroomfromthehalf-asleepclerk，wasshowntoitbyacoloredbellboywhodidnotbothertowakeup。Itwasanicelittleroomwithbarelyspaceenoughforabed，abureau，astationarywashstand，achairandasmallradiator。Assheundressedbythelightofasadgraydawn，sheexaminedherdresstoseehowfaritneededrepairandhowfaritmightberepaired。ShehadwornawayfromForty-thirdStreethercheapestdressbecauseithappenedtobeofaninconspicuousblue。Itwasoneofthosesuitsthatlookfairlywellataglanceonthewaxfigureinthedepartmentstorewindow，thatlosetheirbloomasquicklyasacountrybride，andatthefourthorfifthwearingbegintomakefrankandsweepingconfessionofthecheapnessofeverybitofthematerialandlaborthatwentintothem。Thesesuitsaretypicalofallthatpovertycompelsuponthepoor，allthattheyintheirignoranceandinexperienceofvaluesacceptwithoutcomplaint，fancyingtheyaregettingmoney”sworthandneverdreamingtheyaremoreextravagantthanthemostprodigaloftherich。However，astheirpovertygivesthemnochoice，theirignorancesavesthemfromfutilitiesofangrydiscontent。
Susanhadboughtthisdressbecauseshehadtohaveanotherdressandcouldnotaffordtospendmorethantwelvedollars，andithadbeenmarkeddownfromtwenty-five。Shehadwornitinfairweatherandhadcontrivedtokeepitlookingprettywell。Butthisrainhadfinisheditquite。Thereafter，untilshecouldgetanotherdress，shemustexpecttobeclassedaspoorandseedy——therefore，onthewaytowarddeeperpoverty——therefore，anobjectofpityandofprey。Ifshewentintoashop，shewouldbetreatedinsultinglybytheshopgirls，despisingherasapoorcreaturelikethemselves。Ifamanapproachedher，hewouldcalculateupongettingherverycheapbecauseagirlinsuchacostumecouldnothavebeeninthehabitofreceivinganygreatsum。Andifshewentwithhim，hewouldtreatherwithfarlessconsiderationthanifshehadbeenaboutthesamebusinessinsmarterattire。Shespreadthedressonbureauandchair，smoothingit，wipingthemudstainsfromit。Shewashedoutherstockingsatthestationarystand，gotthemasdryasherremarkablystronghandscouldwringthem，hungthemonarungofthechairnearthehotlittleradiator。Shecleanedherbootsandovershoeswithanoldnewspapershefoundinadrawer，andwetatthewashstand。Shetookherhattopiecesandmadeitoverintosomethingthatlookedalmostfreshenoughtobenew。Then，readyforbed，shegottheofficeofthehotelonthetelephoneandleftacallforhalf-pastnineo”clock——threehoursandahalfaway。Whenshewasthrowingupthewindow，sheglancedintothestreet。
Therainhadoncemoreceased。Throughthegraydimnessthemenandwomen，boysandgirls，onthewaytothefactoriesandshopsfortheday”swork，werestreamingpastinfunerealprocession。Someoftheyoungoneswerelively。Butthemasswassullenanddreary。Bodieswreckedorrapidlywreckingbyignoranceofhygiene，bythefoulairandfoulfoodofthetenements，bythemonotonoustoiloffactoryandshop——mindlesstoil——toilthattookawaymindandputinitsplaceadistasteforallimprovement——toilofthefactoriesthatdistortedthebodyandenvelopedthesoulinsoddenstupidity——toiloftheshopsthatmeantbreathingbadairalldaylong，meantstoopedshouldersandvaricoseveinsinthelegsandthearchesoftheinstepsbrokendown，meantdulleyes，badskin，femalecomplaints，meantthebreedingofdesiresfortheluxurytheshopsdisplay，thebreedingofenvyandservilitytowardthoseabletobuytheseluxuries。
Susanlingered，fascinatedbythisexhibitofthepricetothemanyofcivilizationforthefew。Work？Never！Notanymorethanshewould。“Work“inadive！Work——eitherbranchofit，factoryandshopordivemeantthesaleofallthebodyandallthesoul；herprofession——atleastasshepracticedit——meantthatperhapsshecouldbuywithpartofbodyandpartofsoultheprivilegeofkeepingtherestofbothforherownself。IfshehadstayedonatworkfromthebeginninginCincinnati，wherewouldshebenow？Livinginsomestinkingtenementhole，withhopedead。Andhowwouldshebelooking？Asdullofeyeastherest，aspastyandmottledofskin，asreadyforanychancedisease。Work？Never！Never！“Notatanythingthat”ddegradememorethanthislife。Yes——more。”Andsheliftedherheaddefiantly。ToherhungerLifewasthusfarofferingonlyaplateofrottenapples；itwasdifficulttochooseamongthem——buttherewaschoice。
Shewasawakenedbythetelephonebell；anditkeptonringinguntilshegotupandspoketotheofficethroughthesender。
Neverhadshesocravedsleep；andhermentalandphysicalcontentmentofthreehoursandahalfbeforehadbeensucceededbyheadache，ageneralsoreness，ahorribleattackoftheblues。Shegrewsomewhatbetter，however，asshewashedfirstinhotwater，thenincoldatthestationarystandwhichwasquiteasefficientifnotsoluxuriousasabathtub。Shedressedinarush，butnotsohurriedlythatshefailedtomakethebesttoiletthecircumstancespermitted。Herhairwentupunusuallywell；thedressdidnotlooksobadlyasshehadfeareditwould。“Asit”sanastyday，“shereflected，“itwon”tdomesomuchdamage。MyhatandmybootswillmakethemgivemethebenefitofthedoubtandthinkI”msavingmygoodclothes。”
Shepassedthroughtheofficeatfiveminutestoten。WhenshereachedLange”swintergarden，itsclocksaidtenminutespastten，butsheknewitmustbefast。Onlyoneofthefourmusicianshadarrived——themanwhoplayedthedrums，cymbals，triangleandxylophone——afat，discouragedoldmanwhoknewhoweasilyhecouldbereplaced。NeitherLangenorhiswifehadcome；heroriginalfriend，theAustrianwaiter，waswipingofftablesandcleaningmatchstands。Hewelcomedherwithasmileofdelightthatshowedhowfewteethremainedinthefrontofhismouthandhowdeeplyyellowtheywere。ButSusansawonlyhiseyes——andthekindheartthatlookedthroughthem。
“Maybeyouhaven”thadbreakfastalready？“hesuggested。
“I”mnothungry，thankyou。”
“Perhapssomecoffee——yes？“
Susanthoughtthecoffeewouldmakeherfeelbetter。Sohebroughtit——Viennafashion——anopenchinapotfullofstrong，deliciouslyaromaticblackcoffee，ajugofmilkwithwhippedwhiteofeggontop，abasketofsmallsweetrollspowderedwithsugarandcarawayseed。Sheateoneoftherolls，drankthecoffee。Beforeshehadfinished，thewaiterstoodbeamingbeforeherandsaid：
“Acigarette——yes？“
“Oh，no，“repliedSusan，alittlesadly。
“Butyes，“urgedhe。“Itisn”tagainsttherules。Theboss”swifesmokes。Manyladieswhocomeheredo——realladies。ItisthecustominEurope。Whynot？“Andheproducedaboxofcigarettesandputitonthetable。Susanlitoneofthemandoncemorewithsupremephysicalcontentcameacheerfulnessthatputcolorandsprightlinessintotheflowersofhope。Andthesunhadwonitsbattlewiththestorm；thestormwasinretreat。Sunshinewasstreaminginatthewindows，intoherheart。Thewaiterpausedinhisworknowandthentoenjoyhimselfincontemplatingthecharmingpictureshemade。Shewasthinkingofwhatthewagonrestaurantmanhadsaid。Yes，Lifehadbeenchippingawayather；butshehadremainedgoodstone，hadnotbecomerubbish。
Abouthalf-pasttenLangecamedownfromhisflatwhichwasoverhead。Heinspectedherbydaylightandfindingthathiselectriclightimpressionswerenotdelusionwashighlypleasedwithher。Herefusedtoallowhertopayforthecoffee。
“Johann！“hecalled，andtheleaderoftheorchestraapproachedandmadearespectfulbowtohisemployer。Hehadasolemnpompousairandtheusualpompadour。HeandSusanplungedintothemusicquestion，foundthattheonlysongtheybothknewwasTosti”s“GoodBye。”
“That”lldototry，“saidLange。“Begin！“
Andafteralittletuningandvoicetesting，Susansangthe“GoodBye“withfullorchestraaccompaniment。Itwasnotgood；
itwasnotevenprettygood；butitwasnotbad。“You”lldoallright，“saidLange。“Youcanstay。Now，youandJohannfixupsomesongsandgetreadyfortonight。”Andheturnedawaytobuysuppliesforrestaurantandbar。
Johann，deeplysentimentalbynature，wasmuchpleasedwithSusan”scontralto。“Youdonotknowhowtosing，“saidhe。
“Yousinginyourthroatandyou”vegotallthefaultsofparlorsingers。Butthevoiceisthere——andmuchexpressiveness——muchtemperament。Also，youhaveintelligence——andthatwillmakeaverylittlevoicegoagreatway。”
Beforeproceedinganyfurtherwiththerehearsal，hetookSusanuptoashopwheresheetmusicwassoldandtheyselectedthreesimplesongs：“GipsyQueen，““StarofMyLife“and“LoveinDreams。”Theyweretotry“GipsyQueen“thatnight，with“GoodBye“and，iftheapplauseshouldcompel，“SuwaneeRiver。”
WhentheywerebackattherestaurantSusanseatedherselfinaquietcornerandproceededtolearnthewordsofthesongandtogetsomenotionofthetune。
ShehadlunchwithMr。andMrs。LangeandKaty，whosehairwasverygoldenindeedandwhosevoiceandmannerproclaimedtheBoweryanditsvaudevillestage。ShebeganbybeinggrandwithSusan，buthadfartoogoodaheartandfartoosensibleanaturetokeepuplong。Ittakesmorevanity，moresolemnstupidityandmoreleisurethanplainpeoplehavetimefor，tomaintaintheforceoffakedignity。BeforelunchwasoveritwasKatyandLorna；andKatywasdistressedthatherdutiesatthetheatermadeitimpossibleforhertostayandhelpLornawiththesong。
AttheafternoonrehearsalSusandistinguishedherself。Topermitbusinessintherestaurantandtherehearsalatthesametime，therewasacurtaintodividethebigroomintotwounequalparts。WhenSusansanghersongthroughforthefirsttimecomplete，themensmokinganddrinkingontheothersideofthecurtainburstintoapplause。JohannshookhandswithSusan，shookhandsagain，kissedherhand，pattedhershoulder。
Butintheeveningthingsdidnotgosowell。
Susan，badlyfrightened，gotawayfromtheorchestra，laggedwhenitspeededtocatchupwithher。Shemadeaprettyandengagingfigureinthecostume，lowintheneckandendingattheknees。Herfaceandshoulders，herarmsandlegs，thelinesofherslender，roundedbodymadeasuccess。Buttheybarelysavedherfrombeinglaughedat。Whenshefinished，therewasnoapplausesononecessityforanencore。Sheranupstairs，and，withnervesalla-quiver，hidherselfinthelittleroomsheandKatyweretoshare。Untilshefailedshedidnotrealizehowmuchshehadstakeduponthisventure。Butnowsheknew；anditseemedtoherthatheronlyfuturewasthestreets。Againherchancehadcome；againshehadthrownitaway。Iftherewereanythinginher——anythingbutmerevainhopes——thatcouldnothaveoccurred。Inherplightanyonewithasparkofthedivinitythatachievessuccesswouldhavescored。“Ibelonginthestreets，“saidshe。Beforedinnershehadgoneoutandhadboughtaninety-fivecentnight-dressandsometoiletarticles。Theseshenowbundledtogetheragain。
Shechangedtoherstreetdress；shestoledownthestairs。
Shewasoutatthesidedoor，shewasflyingthroughthesidestreettowardtheBowery。“Hi！“shoutedsomeonebehindher。
“Whereyougoing？“AndovertakinghercameherstaunchfriendAlbert，thewaiter。Feelingthatshemustneedsympathyandencouragement，hehadslippedawayfromhisdutiestogouptoher。Hehadreachedthehallintimetoseewhatshewasaboutandhaddartedbareheadedafterher。
“Whereyougoing？“herepeated，excitedly。
Acrowdbegantogather。“Oh，good-by，“shecried。“I”mgettingoutbeforeI”mtoldtogo——that”sall。Imadeafailure。Thankyou，Albert。”Sheputoutherhand；shewasstillmovingandlookinginthedirectionoftheBowery。
“Nowyoumustn”tbefoolish，“，saidhe，holdingontightlytoherhand。“Thebosssaysit”sallright。Tomorrowyoudobetter。”
“I”dneverdaretryagain。”
“Tomorrowmakeseverythingallright。Youmustn”tactlikeababy。ThefirsttimeKatytried，theyyelledheroffthestage。Nowshegetselevenaweek。Comebackrightawaywithme。Theboss”dbemadifyouwon”t。Youain”tactingright，MissLorna。Ididn”tthinkyouwassuchafool。”
Hehadherattentionnow。Unmindfulofthelittlecrowdtheyhadgathered，theystoodtherediscussinguntiltosaveAlbertfrompneumoniashereturnedwithhim。Hesawherstartedupthestairs，thenventuredtotakehiseyeoffherlongenoughtoputhisheadintothewintergardenandsendawaiterforLange。HestoodguarduntilLangecameandwasonhiswaytoher。
Thenextevening，aSaturday，beforeacrowdedhouseshesangwell，aswellasshehadeversunginherlife——sangwellenoughtogiveherbeautyoffaceandfigure，hersweetness，hercharmtheopportunitytowinasuccess。Shehadtocomebackandsing“SuwaneeRiver。”Shehadtocomeforasecondencore；
and，flushedwithhervictoryoverhertimidity，shesangTosti”ssadcryofeverlastingfarewellwithallthetendernesstherewasinher。Thatsongexactlyfittedherpassionate，melancholyvoice；itswordsharmonizedwiththedeepsadnessthatwasherrealself，thatistherealselfofeverysensitivesoulthisworldhasevertriedwithitsexquisitetormentsforfleshandspirit。Thetearsthatcannotbeshedwereinhervoice，inherface，asshestoodthere，withherviolet-grayeyesstrainingintovacancy。Butthemenandthewomenshedtears；andwhenshemoved，breakingthespellofsilence，theynotonlyapplauded，theycheered。
ThenewsquicklyspreadthatatLange”stherewasagirlsingerworthhearingandstillmoreworthlookingat。AndLangehadhisopportunitytoarrive。
Butseveralthingsstoodinhisway，thingsamanoffarmoreintelligencewouldhavefoundithardtoovercome。
Likenearlyallsaloon-keepers，hewasserftoabrewery；andtheparticularbrewerywhosebeerhismortgagecompelledhimtopushdidnotmakeabeerthatcouldbepushed。Peoplecomplainedthatithadadisagreeablybitteraftertaste。Inthesecondplace，Mrs。Langewasabornsitter。Shehadmarriedtorest——andshewasresting。Shewasalwayspileduponachair。Thus，shewasnotanaidbutahindrance，anencouragerofthehelpinlazinessandslovenliness。Again，thecookingwasdistinctlybad；theonlyreallygoodthingthehouseservedwascoffee，andthatwasgoodonlyinthemornings。Finally，Langewasasaverbynatureandnotaspreader。Hecouldholdtightlytoanymoneyheclosedhisstubbyfingersupon；hedidnotknowhowtoplantmoneyandmakeitgrow，butonlyhowtohoard。