A gang of laborers were digging the
foundations for a large brownstone house, and McTeague found interest
and amusement in leaning over the barrier that surrounded the
excavations and watching the progress of the work. He came to see
it every afternoon; by and by he even got to know the foreman who
superintended the job, and the two had long talks together. Then
McTeague would return to Polk Street and find Heise in the back room of
the harness shop, and occasionally the day ended with some half dozen
drinks of whiskey at Joe Frenna's saloon.
It was curious to note the effect of the alcohol upon the dentist.
It did not make him drunk, it made him vicious. So far from being
stupefied, he became, after the fourth glass, active, alert,
quick-witted, even talkative; a certain wickedness stirred in him then;
he was intractable, mean; and when he had drunk a little more heavily
than usual, he found a certain pleasure in annoying and exasperating
Trina, even in abusing and hurting her.
It had begun on the evening of Thanksgiving Day, when Heise had taken
McTeague out to dinner with him. The dentist on this occasion had
drunk very freely. He and Heise had returned to Polk Street towards ten
o'clock, and Heise at once suggested a couple of drinks at Frenna's.
Pages:
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364