McTeague: A Story of San Francisco

Trina’s stinginess grows. She lies to McTeague about how much money she gained from the auction, and she refuses him money to enjoy the finer things she taught him to like. Without the money for finer foods or clothing, McTeague, angry with Trina, quickly “slip[s] back into the old habits” (286). Trina herself becomes lax in her housekeeping and appearance. Still, McTeague’s gold tooth sits in the corner of the room.

McTeague is fired from his job at a surgical instrument plant. Trina coerces him into giving her his last pay. She insists he immediately look for a new job but refuses to give him a nickel for the train even though it is going to rain. That evening, having unsuccessfully walked from plant to plant, McTeague, soaked and furious, runs into Heise, who invites him to Frenna’s for whiskey. McTeague at first resists, saying whiskey “disagrees with” him (292), but he eventually drinks several glasses. Meanwhile, Maria Macapa visits Trina to tell her about how bad her life is with Zerkow, who is obsessed with finding the gold service.

When McTeague returns, Trina is surprised to find that he speaks “with an unwonted rapidity, his wits sharp” (297).