He accepted the situation.

The little animal comforts which for him constituted the enjoyment of life were ministered to at every turn, or when they were interfered with--as in the case of his Sunday afternoon's nap and beer--some agreeable substitute was found.

In her attempts to improve McTeague--to raise him from the stupid animal life to which he had been accustomed in his bachelor days--Trina was tactful enough to move so cautiously and with such slowness that the dentist was unconscious of any process of change.

In the matter of the high silk hat, it seemed to him that the initiative had come from himself.
Gradually the dentist improved under the influence of his little wife.
He no longer went abroad with frayed cuffs about his huge red wrists--or worse, without any cuffs at all.

Trina kept his linen clean and mended, doing most of his washing herself, and insisting that he should change his flannels--thick red flannels they were, with enormous bone buttons--once a week, his linen shirts twice a week, and his collars and cuffs every second day.