In five minutes the door opened and Finkel entered--a tall, swarthy, convert Jew, with fat cheeks and goggle-eyes. His cheeks, eyes, belly, fleshy hips--were all so full, repulsive, and coarse! At the _Renaissance_ and the German club he used always to be a little drunk, to spend a lot of money on women, patiently put up with all their tricks--for instance, when Vanda poured the beer on his head, he only smiled and shook his finger at her--but now he looked dull and sleepy; he had the pompous, chilly expression of a superior, and he was chewing something.
"What is the matter?" he asked, without looking at Vanda. Vanda glanced at the maid's serious face, at the blown-out figure of Finkel, who obviously did not recognise her, and she blushed.
"What's the matter?" the dentist repeated, irritated.
Vanda remembered she had a tooth with a hole.
"At the bottom ... to the right," she said.
Finkel frowned, held his breath, and began to work the aching tooth loose.
"Do you feel any pain?" he asked, picking at her tooth with some instrument.
"Yes, I do...." Vanda lied. "Shall I remind him?" she thought, "he'll be sure to remember.... But ... the maid ... what is she standing there for?"
Finkel suddenly snorted like a steam-engine straight into her mouth, and said:
"I don't advise you to have a stopping.... Anyhow the tooth is quite useless."
Again he picked at the tooth for a little, and soiled Vanda's lips and gums with his tobacco-stained fingers. Again he held his breath and dived into her mouth with something cold....
Vanda suddenly felt a terrible pain, shrieked and seized Finkel's hand....
"Never mind...." he murmured. "Don't be frightened.... This tooth isn't any use."
And his tobacco-stained fingers, covered with blood, held up the extracted tooth before her eyes. The maid came forward and put a bowl to her lips.
"Rinse your mouth with cold water at home," said Finkel. "That will make the blood stop."
He stood before her in the attitude of a man impatient to be left alone at last.
"Good-bye ..." she said, turning to the door.
"H'm! And who's to pay me for the work?" Finkel asked laughingly.
"Ah ... yes!" Vanda recollected, blushed and gave the dentist the rouble she had got for the turquoise ring.