Final answer:
The husband is characterized as someone who desires to be rich and is actively working hard to attain wealth and please his wife, as indicated by the provided excerpts that highlight his ambition and promise to make them rich.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the excerpts provided, the characterization that best describes the husband is he also wants to be rich and is working hard to please his wife. In the first excerpt, it states, 'He can make them rich with money; he has promised it, and they are poor now. He is so well worth making happy, and he waits to hear the story she can tell.' This indicates that the husband has the potential and the ambition to enrich their lives financially and is waiting for the moment when his efforts bear fruit. Furthermore, the repeated theme across the excerpts shows a focus on the value of hard work, the pursuit of wealth or well-being, and the differing attitudes towards material wealth.