As often as Marcus passed the window of the flat the dentist would mutter: "Ah, you think you're smart, don't you ?" The result of the festival was the organizing of a body known as the "Polk Street Improvement Club," of which Marcus was elected secretary.
McTeague and Trina often heard of him in this capacity through Heise the harness-maker.

Marcus had evidently come to have political aspirations.
It appeared that he was gaining a reputation as a maker of speeches, delivered with fiery emphasis, and occasionally reprinted in the "Progress," the organ of the club--"outraged constituencies," "opinions warped by personal bias," "eyes blinded by party prejudice," etc.
Of her family, Trina heard every fortnight in letters from her mother.
The upholstery business which Mr.Sieppe had bought was doing poorly, and Mrs.Sieppe bewailed the day she had ever left B Street.

Mr.Sieppe was losing money every month.

Owgooste, who was to have gone to school, had been forced to go to work in "the store," picking waste.

Mrs.Sieppe was obliged to take a lodger or two.