"
At another moment he told her of his one unsatisfied desire. "Some day
I'm going to have a big gilded tooth outside my window for a sign. Those
big gold teeth are beautiful, beautiful--only they cost so much, I can't
afford one just now."
"Oh, it's raining," suddenly exclaimed Trina, holding out her palm.
They turned back and reached the station in a drizzle. The afternoon was
closing in dark and rainy. The tide was coming back, talking and lapping
for miles along the mud bank. Far off across the flats, at the edge of
the town, an electric car went by, stringing out a long row of diamond
sparks on the overhead wires.
"Say, Miss Trina," said McTeague, after a while, "what's the good of
waiting any longer? Why can't us two get married?"
Trina still shook her head, saying "No" instinctively, in spite of
herself.
"Why not?" persisted McTeague. "Don't you like me well enough?"
"Yes."
"Then why not?"
"Because."
"Ah, come on," he said, but Trina still shook her head.
"Ah, come on," urged McTeague. He could think of nothing else to say,
repeating the same phrase over and over again to all her refusals.
"Ah, come on! Ah, come on!"
Suddenly he took her in his enormous arms, crushing down her struggle
with his immense strength.
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