Austin's arm lay along the top of the seat behind her; his fingers rested lightly against the sleeve of her shirtwaist. She did not notice them. To his clumsily playful advances she returned indefinite, monosyllabic answers, accompanied by her charming smile of a grateful child.... On the third landing of their tenement they paused to say good night, visible to one another only in a faint light reflected up from the gas-jet burning low in the hall below. The smell of humanity and its food hung in the clammy air they breathed. A hum of voices from the many cells of the hive buzzed in their ears. But Joan forgot them all. She hesitated, embarrassed with the difficulty of finding words adequate to express her thanks. Austin tried awkwardly to help her out: "Well, I guess it's good night, kid." She said, exclamatory: "O Ben! I've had _such_ a good time!" "Dja? Glad to hear it. Will you go again--next week? I guess I can work som'other show, all right." Compunction smote as memory reminded her. "But--Ben--didn't you have to pay for those tickets?" "Oh, that's all right. I couldn't find the fella I was lookin' for, round back." "I'm so sorry--" "Gwan! It wasn't nothin'. Cheap at the price, if you liked it, little girl." "I liked it _awfully_! But I won't go again, unless you show me the pass first." "Wel-l, we'll see about that." He edged a pace nearer. Suddenly self-conscious, Joan drew back and offered her hand. "Good night and--thank you so much, Ben." He took the hand, but retained it. "Ah, say! is this all I get? I thought you kinda liked me...." "I do, Ben, but--" "Well, a kiss won't cost you nothin'. It's your turn now." "But, Ben--but, Ben--" "Oh, well, if that's the way you feel about it--" He made as if to relinquish her hand. But to be thought lacking in generosity had stung her beyond endurance. Without stopping to think--blindly and quickly, so that she might not think--she gave herself to his arms. "Well," she breathed in a soft voice, "just one...." "Just one, eh?" He pressed his lips to hers. "Oh, I don't know about that!" He tightened his embrace. Her heart was hammering madly. His mouth hurt her lips, his beard rasped her tender skin. She wanted frantically to get away, to regain possession of herself; and wanted it the more because, dimly through the tumult of thought and emotion, she was conscious of the fact that she rather liked it. "Joan...." Austin murmured in a tone that, soft with the note of wooing, was yet vibrant with the elation of the conqueror, "Joan...." One arm shifted up from her waist and his big hand rested heavily over her heart. For a breath she seemed numb and helpless, suffocating with the tempest of her senses. Then like lightning there pierced her confusion the memory of the knee that had driven her from the car, only that afternoon: symbolic of the bedrock beastliness of man. With a quick twist and wrench she freed herself and reeled a pace or two away.