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——“