Thenmattersreachedasuddenclimax。Inhisagitationthedentisthadbeenpullinghardonhispipe，andasMarcusforthelasttimethrusthisfaceclosetohisown，McTeague，inopeninghislipstoreply，blewastifling，acridclouddirectlyinMarcusSchouler’seyes。Marcusknockedthepipefromhisfingerswithasuddenflashofhishand；itspunacrosstheroomandbrokeintoadozenfragmentsinafarcorner。
McTeaguerosetohisfeet，hiseyeswide。Butasyethewasnotangry，onlysurprised，takenallabackbythesuddennessofMarcusSchouler’soutbreakaswellasbyitsunreasonableness。WhyhadMarcusbrokenhispipe？Whatdiditallmean，anyway？Asherosethedentistmadeavaguemotionwithhisrighthand。DidMarcusmisinterpretitasagestureofmenace？Hesprangbackasthoughavoidingablow。Allatoncetherewasacry。Marcushadmadeaquick，peculiarmotion，swinginghisarmupwardwithawideandsweepinggesture；hisjack-knifelayopeninhispalm；itshotforwardasheflungit，glintedsharplybyMcTeague’shead，andstruckquiveringintothewallbehind。
Asuddenchillranthroughtheroom；theothersstoodtransfixed，asattheswiftpassageofsomecoldanddeadlywind。Deathhadstoopedthereforaninstant，hadstoopedandpast，leavingatrailofterrorandconfusion。Thenthedoorleadingtothestreetslammed；Marcushaddisappeared。
Thereonagreatbabelofexclamationarose。Thetensionofthatallbutfatalinstantsnapped，andspeechbecameoncemorepossible。
“Hewouldhaveknifedyou。“
“Narrowescape。“
“WhatkindofamandoyoucallTHAT？“
“’Tain’thisfaultheain’tamurderer。“
“I’dhavehimupforit。“
“Andtheytwohavebeenthegreatestkindoffriends。“
“Hedidn’ttouchyou，didhe？“
“No——no——no。“
“Whata——whatadevil！Whattreachery！Aregulargreasertrick！“
“Lookouthedon’tstabyouintheback。Ifthat’sthekindofmanheis，younevercantell。“
Frennadrewtheknifefromthewall。
“GuessI’llkeepthistoad-stabber，“heobserved。“Thatfellowwon’tcomeroundforitinahurry；goodsizedblade，too。“Thegroupexamineditwithintenseinterest。
“Bigenoughtoletthelifeoutofanyman，“observedHeise。
“What——what——whatdidhedoitfor？“stammeredMcTeague。“I
gotnoquarrelwithhim。“
Hewaspuzzledandharassedbythestrangenessofitall。
Marcuswouldhavekilledhim；hadthrownhisknifeathiminthetrue，uncanny“greaser“style。Itwasinexplicable。
McTeaguesatdownagain，lookingstupidlyaboutonthefloor。Inacorneroftheroomhiseyeencounteredhisbrokenpipe，adozenlittlefragmentsofpaintedporcelainandthestemofcherrywoodandamber。
Atthatsighthistardywrath，everlaggingbehindtheoriginalaffront，suddenlyblazedup。Instantlyhishugejawsclickedtogether。
“Hecan’tmakesmallofME，“heexclaimed，suddenly。
“I’llshowMarcusSchouler——I’llshowhim——I’ll——“
Hegotupandclappedonhishat。
“Now，Doctor，“remonstratedHeise，standingbetweenhimandthedoor，“don’tgomakeafoolofyourself。“
“Let’umalone，“joinedinFrenna，catchingthedentistbythearm；“he’sfull，anyhow。“
“Hebrokemypipe，“answeredMcTeague。
Itwasthisthathadrousedhim。Thethrownknife，theattemptonhislife，wasbeyondhissolution；butthebreakingofhispipeheunderstoodclearlyenough。
“I’llshowhim，“heexclaimed。
Asthoughtheyhadbeenlittlechildren，McTeaguesetFrennaandtheharness-makeraside，andstrodeoutatthedoorlikearagingelephant。Heisestoodrubbinghisshoulder。
“Mightaswelltrytostopalocomotive，“hemuttered。“Theman’smadeofiron。“
Meanwhile，McTeaguewentstormingupthestreettowardtheflat，wagginghisheadandgrumblingtohimself。Ah，Marcuswouldbreakhispipe，wouldhe？Ah，hewasazinc-plugger，washe？He’dshowMarcusSchouler。Nooneshouldmakesmallofhim。HetrampedupthestairstoMarcus’sroom。Thedoorwaslocked。Thedentistputoneenormoushandontheknobandpushedthedoorin，snappingthewood-work，tearingoffthelock。Nobody——theroomwasdarkandempty。Nevermind，Marcuswouldhavetocomehomesometimethatnight。
McTeaguewouldgodownandwaitforhiminhis“Parlors。“
Hewasboundtohearhimashecameupthestairs。
AsMcTeaguereachedhisroomhestumbledover，inthedarkness，abigpacking-boxthatstoodinthehallwayjustoutsidehisdoor。Puzzled，hesteppedoverit，andlightingthegasinhisroom，draggeditinsideandexaminedit。
Itwasaddressedtohim。Whatcoulditmean？Hewasexpectingnothing。Neversincehehadfirstfurnishedhisroomhadpacking-casesbeenleftforhiminthisfashion。
Nomistakewaspossible。Therewerehisnameandaddressunmistakably。“Dr。McTeague，dentist——PolkStreet，SanFrancisco，Cal。，“andtheredWellsFargotag。
Seizedwiththejoyfulcuriosityofanovergrownboy，hepriedofftheboardswiththecornerofhisfireshovel。Thecasewasstuffedfullofexcelsior。OnthetoplayanenvelopeaddressedtohiminTrina’shandwriting。Heopeneditandread，“FormydearMac’sbirthday，fromTrina；“andbelow，inakindofpost-script，“Themanwillberoundto-morrowtoputitinplace。“McTeaguetoreawaytheexcelsior。Suddenlyheutteredanexclamation。
ItwastheTooth——thefamousgoldenmolarwithitshugeprongs——hissign，hisambition，theoneunrealizeddreamofhislife；anditwasFrenchgilt，too，notthecheapGermangiltthatwasnogood。Ah，whatadearlittlewomanwasthisTrina，tokeepsoquiet，torememberhisbirthday！
“Ain’tshe——ain’tshejusta——justaJEWEL，“exclaimedMcTeagueunderhisbreath，“aJEWEL——yes，justaJEWEL；that’stheword。“
Verycarefullyheremovedtherestoftheexcelsior，andliftingtheponderousToothfromitsbox，setituponthemarble-topcentretable。Howimmenseitlookedinthatlittleroom！Thethingwastremendous，overpowering——thetoothofagiganticfossil，goldenanddazzling。Besideiteverythingseemeddwarfed。EvenMcTeaguehimself，bigbonedandenormousashewas，shrankanddwindledinthepresenceofthemonster。Asforaninstantheboreitinhishands，itwaslikeapunyGulliverstrugglingwiththemolarofsomevastBrobdingnag。
Thedentistcircledaboutthatgoldenwonder，gaspingwithdelightandstupefaction，touchingitgingerlywithhishandsasifitweresomethingsacred。AteverymomenthisthoughtreturnedtoTrina。No，neverwastheresuchalittlewomanashis——theverythinghewanted——howhadsheremembered？Andthemoney，wherehadthatcomefrom？Nooneknewbetterthanhehowexpensivewerethesesigns；notanotherdentistonPolkStreetcouldaffordone。Where，then，hadTrinafoundthemoney？Itcameoutofherfivethousanddollars，nodoubt。
Butwhatawonderful，beautifultoothitwas，tobesure，brightasamirror，shiningthereinitscoatofFrenchgilt，asifwithalightofitsown！Nodangerofthattoothturningblackwiththeweather，asdidthecheapGermangiltimpostures。Whatwouldthatotherdentist，thatposer，thatriderofbicycles，thatcourserofgreyhounds，saywhenheshouldseethismarvellousmolarrunoutfromMcTeague’sbaywindowlikeaflagofdefiance？Nodoubthewouldsufferveritableconvulsionsofenvy；wouldbepositivelysickwithjealousy。IfMcTeaguecouldonlyseehisfaceatthemoment！
Forawholehourthedentistsatthereinhislittle“Parlor，“gazingecstaticallyathistreasure，dazzled，supremelycontent。Thewholeroomtookonadifferentaspectbecauseofit。Thestonepugdogbeforethelittlestovereflecteditinhisprotrudingeyes；thecanarywokeandchitteredfeeblyatthisnewgilt，somuchbrighterthanthebarsofitslittleprison。Lorenzode’Medici，inthesteelengraving，sittingintheheartofhiscourt，seemedtooglethethingoutofthecornerofoneeye，whilethebrilliantcolorsoftheunusedriflemanufacturer’scalendarseemedtofadeandpaleinthebrillianceofthisgreaterglory。
Atlength，longaftermidnight，thedentiststartedtogotobed，undressinghimselfwithhiseyesstillfixedonthegreattooth。AllatonceheheardMarcusSchouler’sfootonthestairs；hestartedupwithhisfistsclenched，butimmediatelydroppedbackuponthebed-loungewithagestureofindifference。
Hewasinnotruculentstateofmindnow。Hecouldnotreinstatehimselfinthatmoodofwrathwhereinhehadleftthecornergrocery。Thetoothhadchangedallthat。WhatwasMarcusSchouler’shatredtohim，whohadTrina’saffection？Whatdidhecareaboutabrokenpipenowthathehadthetooth？Lethimgo。AsFrennasaid，hewasnotworthit。HeheardMarcuscomeoutintothehall，shoutingaggrievedlytoanyonewithinsoundofhisvoice：
“An’nowhebreaksintomyroom——intomyroom，bydamn！HowdoIknowhowmanythingshe’sstolen？It’scometostealingfromme，now，hasit？“Hewentintohisroom，banginghissplintereddoor。
McTeaguelookedupwardattheceiling，inthedirectionofthevoice，muttering：
“Ah，gotobed，you。“
Hewenttobedhimself，turningoutthegas，butleavingthewindow-curtainsupsothathecouldseethetooththelastthingbeforehewenttosleepandthefirstthingashearoseinthemorning。
Buthewasrestlessduringthenight。Everynowandthenhewasawakenedbynoisestowhichhehadlongsincebecomeaccustomed。Nowitwasthecacklingofthegeeseinthedesertedmarketacrossthestreet；nowitwasthestoppageofthecable，thesuddensilencecomingalmostlikeashock；
andnowitwastheinfuriatedbarkingofthedogsinthebackyard——Alec，theIrishsetter，andthecolliethatbelongedtothebranchpost-officeragingateachotherthroughthefence，snarlingtheirendlesshatredintoeachother’sfaces。Asoftenashewoke，McTeagueturnedandlookedforthetooth，withasuddensuspicionthathehadonlythatmomentdreamedthewholebusiness。Buthealwaysfoundit——Trina’sgift，hisbirthdayfromhislittlewoman——
ahuge，vaguebulk，loomingtherethroughthehalfdarknessinthecentreoftheroom，shiningdimlyoutasifwithsomemysteriouslightofitsown。
CHAPTER9
TrinaandMcTeagueweremarriedonthefirstdayofJune，inthephotographer’sroomsthatthedentisthadrented。AllthroughMaytheSieppehouseholdhadbeenturnedupsidedown。Thelittleboxofahousevibratedwithexcitementandconfusion，fornotonlywerethepreparationsforTrina’smarriagetobemade，butalsothepreliminariesweretobearrangedforthehegiraoftheentireSieppefamily。
TheyweretomovetothesouthernpartoftheStatethedayafterTrina’smarriage，Mr。SieppehavingboughtathirdinterestinanupholsteringbusinessinthesuburbsofLosAngeles。ItwaspossiblethatMarcusSchoulerwouldgowiththem。