TheinstantshewasoutofthehospitalTrinahadbeguntosaveagain，butnowitwaswithaneagernessthatamountedattimestoaveritablefrenzy。Sheevendeniedherselflightsandfuelinordertoputbyaquarterorso，grudgingeverypennyshewasobligedtospend。Shedidherownwashingandcooking。Finallyshesoldherweddingdress，thathadhithertolaininthebottomofhertrunk。
　　ThedayshemovedfromZerkow’soldhouse，shecamesuddenlyuponthedentist’sconcertinaunderaheapofoldclothesinthecloset。Withintwentyminutesshehadsoldittothedealerinsecond-handfurniture，returningtoherroomwithsevendollarsinherpocket，happyforthefirsttimesinceMcTeaguehadlefther。
　　Butforallthatthematch-boxandthebagrefusedtofillup；afterthreeweeksofthemostrigideconomytheycontainedbuteighteendollarsandsomesmallchange。Whatwasthatcomparedwithfourhundred？Trinatoldherselfthatshemusthavehermoneyinhand。Shelongedtoseeagaintheheapofituponherwork-table，whereshecouldplungeherhandsintoit，herfaceintoit，feelingthecool，smoothmetaluponhercheeks。Atsuchmomentsshewouldseeinherimaginationherwonderfulfivethousanddollarspiledincolumns，shiningandgleamingsomewhereatthebottomofUncleOelbermann’svault。ShewouldlookatthepaperthatUncleOelbermannhadgivenher，andtellherselfthatitrepresentedfivethousanddollars。Butintheendthisceasedtosatisfyher，shemusthavethemoneyitself。Shemusthaveherfourhundreddollarsbackagain，thereinhertrunk，inherbagandhermatch-box，whereshecouldtouchitandseeitwhenevershedesired。
　　Atlengthshecouldstanditnolonger，andonedaypresentedherselfbeforeUncleOelbermannashesatinhisofficeinthewholesaletoystore，andtoldhimshewantedtohavefourhundreddollarsofhermoney。
　　“Butthisisveryirregular，youknow，Mrs。McTeague，“saidthegreatman。“Notbusiness-likeatall。“
　　Buthisniece’smisfortunesandthesightofherpoormaimedhandappealedtohim。Heopenedhischeck-book。“Youunderstand，ofcourse，“hesaid，“thatthiswillreducetheamountofyourinterestbyjustsomuch。“
　　“Iknow，Iknow。I’vethoughtofthat，“saidTrina。
　　“Fourhundred，didyousay？“remarkedUncleOelbermann，takingthecapfromhisfountainpen。
　　“Yes，fourhundred，“exclaimedTrina，quickly，hereyesglistening。
　　Trinacashedthecheckandreturnedhomewiththemoney——allintwenty-dollarpiecesasshehaddesired——inanecstasyofdelight。Forhalfofthatnightshesatupplayingwithhermoney，countingitandrecountingit，polishingthedullerpiecesuntiltheyshone。Altogetherthereweretwentytwenty-dollargoldpieces。
　　“Oh-h，youbeauties！“murmuredTrina，runningherpalmsoverthem，fairlyquiveringwithpleasure。“Youbeauties！
　　ISthereanythingprettierthanatwenty-dollargoldpiece？
　　Youdear，dearmoney！Oh，don’tILOVEyou！Mine，mine，mine——allofyoumine。“
　　Shelaidthemoutinarowontheledgeofthetable，orarrangedtheminpatterns——triangles，circles，andsquares——
　　orbuiltthemallupintoapyramidwhichsheafterwardoverthrewforthesakeofhearingthedeliciousclinkofthepiecestumblingagainsteachother。Thenatlastsheputthemawayinthebrassmatch-boxandchamoisbag，delightedbeyondwordsthattheywereoncemorefullandheavy。
　　Then，afewdaysafter，thethoughtofthemoneystillremaininginUncleOelbermann’skeepingreturnedtoher。Itwashers，allhers——allthatfourthousandsixhundred。Shecouldhaveasmuchofitoraslittleofitasshechose。
　　Sheonlyhadtoask。ForaweekTrinaresisted，knowingverywellthattakingfromhercapitalwasproportionatelyreducinghermonthlyincome。Thenatlastsheyielded。
　　“Justtomakeitanevenfivehundred，anyhow，“shetoldherself。Thatdayshedrewahundreddollarsmore，intwenty-dollargoldpiecesasbefore。FromthattimeTrinabegantodrawsteadilyuponhercapital，alittleatatime。
　　Itwasapassionwithher，amania，averitablementaldisease；atemptationsuchasdrunkardsonlyknow。
　　Itwouldcomeuponherallofasudden。Whileshewasaboutherwork，scrubbingthefloorofsomevacanthouse；orinherroom，inthemorning，asshemadehercoffeeontheoilstove，orwhenshewokeinthenight，abrusqueaccessofcupiditywouldseizeuponher。Hercheeksflushed，hereyesglistened，herbreathcameshort。Attimesshewouldleaveherworkjustasitwas，putonheroldbonnetofblackstraw，throwhershawlabouther，andgostraighttoUncleOelbermann’sstoreanddrawagainsthermoney。Nowitwouldbeahundreddollars，nowsixty；nowshewouldcontentherselfwithonlytwenty；andonce，afterafortnight’sabstinence，shepermittedherselfapositivedebauchoffivehundred。LittlebylittleshedrewhercapitalfromUncleOelbermann，andlittlebylittleheroriginalinterestoftwenty-fivedollarsamonthdwindled。
　　Onedayshepresentedherselfagainintheofficeofthewhole-saletoystore。
　　“Willyouletmehaveacheckfortwohundreddollars，UncleOelbermann？“shesaid。
　　Thegreatmanlaiddownhisfountainpenandleanedbackinhisswivelchairwithgreatdeliberation。
　　“Idon’tunderstand，Mrs。McTeague，“hesaid。“Everyweekyoucomehereanddrawoutalittleofyourmoney。I’vetoldyouthatitisnotatallregularorbusiness-likeformetoletyouhaveitthisway。Andmorethanthis，it’sagreatinconveniencetometogiveyouthesechecksatunstatedtimes。Ifyouwishtodrawoutthewholeamountlet’shavesomeunderstanding。Drawitinmonthlyinstallmentsof，say，fivehundreddollars，orelse，“headded，abruptly，“drawitallatonce，now，to-day。Iwouldevenpreferitthatway。Otherwiseit’s——it’sannoying。Come，shallI
　　drawyouacheckforthirty-sevenhundred，andhaveitoveranddonewith？“
　　“No，no，“criedTrina，withinstinctiveapprehension，refusing，shedidnotknowwhy。“No，I’llleaveitwithyou。Iwon’tdrawoutanymore。“
　　Shetookherdeparture，butpausedonthepavementoutsidethestore，andstoodforamomentlostinthought，hereyesbeginningtoglistenandherbreathcomingshort。Slowlysheturnedaboutandreenteredthestore；shecamebackintotheoffice，andstoodtremblingatthecornerofUncleOelbermann’sdesk。Helookedupsharply。TwiceTrinatriedtogethervoice，andwhenitdidcometoher，shecouldhardlyrecognizeit。Betweenbreathsshesaid：
　　“Yes，allright——I’ll——youcangiveme——willyougivemeacheckforthirty-sevenhundred？GivemeALLofmymoney。“
　　Afewhourslatersheenteredherlittleroomoverthekindergarten，boltedthedoorwithshakingfingers，andemptiedaheavycanvassackuponthemiddleofherbed。
　　Thensheopenedhertrunk，andtakingthencethebrassmatch-boxandchamois-skinbagaddedtheircontentstothepile。Nextshelaidherselfuponthebedandgatheredthegleamingheapsofgoldpiecestoherwithbotharms，buryingherfaceinthemwithlongsighsofunspeakabledelight。
　　Itwasalittlepastnoon，andthedaywasfineandwarm。
　　Theleavesofthehugecherrytreesthrewoffacertainpungentaromathatenteredthroughtheopenwindow，togetherwithlongthinshaftsofgoldensunlight。Below，inthekindergarten，thechildrenweresinginggaylyandmarchingtothejanglingofthepiano。Trinaheardnothing，sawnothing。Shelayonherbed，hereyesclosed，herfaceburiedinapileofgoldthatsheencircledwithbothherarms。
　　Trinaeventoldherselfatlastthatshewashappyoncemore。McTeaguebecameamemory——amemorythatfadedalittleeveryday——dimandindistinctinthegoldensplendoroffivethousanddollars。
　　“Andyet，“Trinawouldsay，“IdidloveMac，lovedhimdearly，onlyalittlewhileago。Evenwhenhehurtme，itonlymademelovehimmore。HowisitI’vechangedsosudden？HowCOULDIforgethimsosoon？Itmustbebecausehestolemymoney。Thatisit。Icouldn’tforgiveanyonethat——no，notevenmyMOTHER。AndInever——
　　never——willforgivehim。“
　　WhathadbecomeofherhusbandTrinadidnotknow。SheneversawanyoftheoldPolkStreetpeople。Therewasnowayshecouldhavenewsofhim，evenifshehadcaredtohaveit。Shehadhermoney，thatwasthemainthing。Herpassionforitexcludedeveryothersentiment。Thereitwasinthebottomofhertrunk，inthecanvassack，thechamois-skinbag，andthelittlebrassmatch-safe。NotadaypassedthatTrinadidnothaveitoutwhereshecouldseeandtouchit。Oneeveningshehadevenspreadallthegoldpiecesbetweenthesheets，andhadthengonetobed，strippingherself，andhadsleptallnightuponthemoney，takingastrangeandecstaticpleasureinthetouchofthesmoothflatpiecesthelengthofherentirebody。
　　Onenight，somethreemonthsaftershehadcometoliveatthekindergarten，Trinawasawakenedbyasharptaponthepaneofthewindow。Shesatupquicklyinbed，herheartbeatingthickly，hereyesrollingwildlyinthedirectionofhertrunk。Thetapwasrepeated。Trinaroseandwentfearfullytothewindow。Thelittlecourtbelowwasbrightwithmoonlight，andstandingjustontheedgeoftheshadowthrownbyoneofthecherrytreeswasMcTeague。Abunchofhalf-ripecherrieswasinhishand。Hewaseatingthemandthrowingthepitsatthewindow。Ashecaughtsightofher，hemadeaneagersignforhertoraisethesash。Reluctantandwondering，Trinaobeyed，andthedentistcamequicklyforward。Hewaswearingapairofblueoveralls；anavy-
　　blueflannelshirtwithoutacravat；anoldcoat，faded，rain-washed，andrippedattheseams；andhiswoollencap。
　　“Say，Trina，“heexclaimed，hisheavybassvoicepitchedjustaboveawhisper，“letmein，willyou，huh？Say，willyou？I’mregularlystarving，andIhaven’tsleptinaChristianbedfortwoweeks。“
　　Atsightathimstandingthereinthemoonlight，Trinacouldonlythinkofhimasthemanwhohadbeatenandbittenher，haddesertedherandstolenhermoney，hadmadehersufferasshehadneversufferedbeforeinallherlife。Nowthathehadspentthemoneythathehadstolenfromher，hewaswhiningtocomeback——sothathemightstealmore，nodoubt。
　　Onceinherroomhecouldnothelpbutsmelloutherfivethousanddollars。Herindignationrose。
　　“No，“shewhisperedbackathim。“No，Iwillnotletyouin。“
　　“Butlistenhere，Trina，ItellyouIamstarving，regularly——“
　　“Hoh！“interruptedTrinascornfully。“Amancan’tstarvewithfourhundreddollars，Iguess。“
　　“Well——well——I——well——“falteredthedentist。“Nevermindnow。Givemesomethingtoeat，an’letmeinan’sleep。
　　I’vebeensleepinginthePlazaforthelasttennights，andsay，I——Damnit，Trina，Iain’thadanythingtoeatsince——“