McTeague: A Story of San Francisco

e last sittings. Trina yet stood upon her reserve, and McTeague still felt himself shambling and ungainly in her presence; but that constraint and embarrassment that had followed upon

so stupid. She was for someone else-Marcus, no doubt-or at least for some finer-grained man. She should have gone to some other dentist; the young fellow on the corner, for instance, the poser, the rider

McTeague met Marcus Schouler at his table in the ca

oon, Mac?" inquired the other,

le beads of perspiration stood across the bridge of his nose. He looked forward to an afternoon passed in his operating

ong walk, by damn! It'll be outa sight. I got to take three or four of the dogs out f

was not absent with the Sieppes they went out together, sometimes to the park, sometimes to the Presidio, sometimes even across the bay. They t

rned, and, following the line of the shore, brought up at the Cliff House. Here they halted for beer, Marcus swearing that his mouth was as dry as a hay-bin. B

bought 'um. The duck thought he had the distemper, and just threw 'um away. Nothun wrong with 'um but a little catarrh. Ain't he a bird? Say, ain't he a bird? Look at his flag;

in another part of the building a mammoth music-box was jangling out a quickstep. From outside came the long, rhythmical rush of

his glass. "Ah-h!" he added, with a long

ncertain movements of the head. For that matter, the dentist had been silent and preoccupied throughout th

se days, Mac? You got a bean ab

oking about on the floor, roll

t silence. The two billiard players departed

s, with a short laugh,

shuffled his enormous

I can help you. We're pals, you know. Better tell me what's

d now Marcus would try and force the secret out of him; would rush blindly at the rock upon which the two must split, stirred by the very best of motives, wishing only to be of service. Besides this, there was nobody to

es as he found them. His life had shaped itself; was, no doubt, to continue always along these same lines. A woman had entered his small world and instantly there was discord. T

rcus, leaning toward him. "Has any duck been doing

McTeague,

rcus; "let's have ut. What is the r

ion had got beyond him. Stupidly he spoke, his h

Miss Sieppe

ow do you mean?" inq

tammered McTeague, h

suddenly enlightened, "t

walls of the room, avoiding the other's glance

it. It ain't m

d back in his chair breathless. S

had ut happen for anything, if I could 'a' stopped it, but I don' know, it's something that's just stronger than you are, that's all. She came there-Miss Sieppe came to the parlors there three or four times a week, and she was the first girl I had ever known,-and you don' know! Why, I was so close to her I touched her face every minute, and her mouth, and smelt her hair and he

gestures, his face flushed, his enormous jaws shut together with a sharp click at every pause. It was like s

ehead; the little chin thrust out as if in confidence and innocence; the heavy, odorous crown of black hair. He liked her immensely. Some day he would speak; he would ask her to marry him. Marcus put off this matter of marriage to some future period; it would be some time-a year, perhaps, or two. The thing did not take definite shape in his mind. Marcus "kept company" with his cousin Trina, but he knew plenty of other girls. For the matter of that, he

going to do about

in great distress. "I don' want an

!" vociferated the other. "

e did; that in some strange way this huge, brutal fellow was capable of a greater passion

ist, "go ahead. I guess you-you want her pretty bad. I'll

; he stood apart and watched this second self with boundless admiration and with infinite pity. He was so good, so magnif

f for the sake of his friend. The two stood up and faced each other, gripping hands. It was a great moment; even McTeague felt the drama of it. What a fine thing was this friendship between men! the dentist treats his friend for an ulcerated tooth and refuse

uld think of nothing better to say. "I'm muc

it occurred to him to add, "You'll be happy together. Tell her for me-tell

es. Everything would come right, after all. The strained, exalted state of Marcus's nerves ended by putting him into fine humor as well. His grief suddenly changed to an exce

n of Trina Sieppe, Marcus astound

he table. "Now watch me," cried Marcus. He caught up a billiard ball from the rack, poised it a moment in front of

houted, swaying in his chair, slapping his knee. What a josher was this Marcus! Sure, you never could tell

's see y

jaws like an anaconda. The ball disappeared inside his mouth. Marcus applauded vociferously, shouting, "Go

awed at his cheeks with both hands. The billiard ball had slipped int

to slip the ball out. Marcus lost his wits, swearing at the top of his voice. McTeague sweated with terror; inarticulate sounds came from his crammed mouth; he waved his arm

s easily as it had gone in. What a relief! He dropped

n Marcus Schouler invited the

setter, kept his place at the rear of the car. The other three lost their senses immediately, running wildly about the streets with their heads in the air, or suddenly starting off at a furious gallop directly away from the car. M

thought of his own supper Marcus put Alexander to bed and fed him a couple of dog biscuits. McTeague had followed him to th

s-about that-about-about my cou

All his uneasiness about his affair with Trina had returned. No, surely she was not for him. Marcus or some other man would win her in the end. What could s

what to do, M

o her now," answered Marc

thought of calling on her. Th

proper caper. What did you expect? Did you

" responded the dentist, l

r you want to go. I tell you what, we'll go over there Washington's Birthday. That's this next Wednesday; sure, they'll be glad to

're-you're all

t, old man. I'd like to see you two fixed,

t he was too self-respecting to whimper. However, by the time the two friends had reached the second landing on the back stair

each other out, blowing through the cracks of the fence at each other. Suddenly the quarrel had exploded on either side of the fence. The dogs raged at each ot

ther. Just listen; wouldn't that make a fight if