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Sister Carrie
投诉 阅读记录

第11章

Thelattercaughtinaglancethedimensionsofaverystalwart,figure。Shealsonoticedthathewassmooth-shaven,good,looking,andyoung,butnothingmore。

“Mr。AmesisjustdowninNewYorkforafewdays,“putinVance,“andwe’retryingtoshowhimaroundalittle。”

“Oh,areyou?”saidCarrie,takinganotherglanceatthe,newcomer。

“Yes;IamjustonherefromIndianapolisforaweekorso,“said,youngAmes,seatinghimselfontheedgeofachairtowaitwhile,Mrs。Vancecompletedthelasttouchesofhertoilet。

“IguessyoufindNewYorkquiteathingtosee,don’tyou?”said,Carrie,venturingsomethingtoavoidapossibledeadlysilence。

“Itisratherlargetogetaroundinaweek,“answeredAmes,pleasantly。

Hewasanexceedinglygenialsoul,thisyoungman,andwholly,freeofaffectation。ItseemedtoCarriehewasasyetonly,overcomingthelasttracesofthebashfulnessofyouth。Hedid,notseemaptatconversation,buthehadthemeritofbeingwell,dressedandwhollycourageous。Carriefeltasifitwerenot,goingtobehardtotalktohim。

“Well,Iguesswe’rereadynow。Thecoachisoutside。”

“Comeon,people,“saidMrs。Vance,cominginsmiling。”Bob,you’llhavetolookafterMrs。Wheeler。”

“I’lltryto,“saidBobsmiling,andedgingclosertoCarrie。

“Youwon’tneedmuchwatching,willyou?”hevolunteered,ina,sortofingratiatingandhelp-me-outkindofway。

“Notvery,Ihope,“saidCarrie。

Theydescendedthestairs,Mrs。Vanceofferingsuggestions,and,climbedintotheopencoach。

“Allright,“saidVance,slammingthecoachdoor,andthe,conveyancerolledaway。

“Whatisitwe’regoingtosee?”askedAmes。

“Sothern,“saidVance,“in’LordChumley。’“

“Oh,heissogood!”saidMrs。Vance。”He’sjustthefunniest,man。”

“Inoticethepaperspraiseit,“saidAmes。

“Ihaven’tanydoubt,“putinVance,“butwe’llallenjoyitvery,much。”

AmeshadtakenaseatbesideCarrie,andaccordinglyhefeltit,hisboundendutytopayhersomeattention。Hewasinterestedto,findhersoyoungawife,andsopretty,thoughitwasonlya,respectfulinterest。Therewasnothingofthedashinglady’sman,abouthim。Hehadrespectforthemarriedstate,andthought,onlyofsomeprettymarriageablegirlsinIndianapolis。

“AreyouabornNewYorker?”askedAmesofCarrie。

“Oh,no;I’veonlybeenherefortwoyears。”

“Oh,well,you’vehadtimetoseeagreatdealofit,anyhow。”

“Idon’tseemtohave,“answeredCarrie。”It’saboutasstrange,tomeaswhenIfirstcamehere。”

“You’renotfromtheWest,areyou?”

“Yes。I’mfromWisconsin,“sheanswered。

“Well,itdoesseemasifmostpeopleinthistownhaven’tbeen,heresoverylong。IhearoflotsofIndianapeopleinmyline,whoarehere。”

“Whatisyourline?”askedCarrie。

“I’mconnectedwithanelectricalcompany,“saidtheyouth。

Carriefollowedupthisdesultoryconversationwithoccasional,interruptionsfromtheVances。Severaltimesitbecamegeneral,andpartiallyhumorous,andinthatmannertherestaurantwas,reached。

Carriehadnoticedtheappearanceofgayetyandpleasure-seeking,inthestreetswhichtheywerefollowing。Coacheswerenumerous,pedestriansmany,andinFifty-ninthStreetthestreetcarswere,crowded。AtFifty-ninthStreetandFifthAvenueablazeof,lightsfromseveralnewhotelswhichborderedthePlazaSquare,gaveasuggestionofsumptuoushotellife。FifthAvenue,the,homeofthewealthy,wasnoticeablycrowdedwithcarriages,and,gentlemenineveningdress。AtSherry’sanimposingdoorman,openedthecoachdoorandhelpedthemout。YoungAmesheld,Carrie’selbowashehelpedherupthesteps。Theyenteredthe,lobbyalreadyswarmingwithpatrons,andthen,afterdivesting,themselvesoftheirwraps,wentintoasumptuousdining-room。

InallCarrie’sexperienceshehadneverseenanythinglikethis。

InthewholetimeshehadbeeninNewYorkHurstwood’smodified,statehadnotpermittedhisbringinghertosuchaplace。There,wasanalmostindescribableatmosphereaboutitwhichconvinced,thenewcomerthatthiswastheproperthing。Herewastheplace,wherethematterofexpenselimitedthepatronstothemoneyedor,pleasure-lovingclass。Carriehadreadofitofteninthe,“Morning“and“EveningWorld。”Shehadseennoticesofdances,parties,balls,andsuppersatSherry’s。TheMissesSo-and-so,wouldgiveapartyonWednesdayeveningatSherry’s。YoungMr。

So-and-Sowouldentertainapartyoffriendsataprivate,luncheononthesixteenth,atSherry’s。Thecommonrunof,conventional,perfunctorynoticesofthedoingsofsociety,which,shecouldscarcelyrefrainfromscanningeachday,hadgivenher,adistinctideaofthegorgeousnessandluxuryofthiswonderful,templeofgastronomy。Now,atlast,shewasreallyinit。She,hadcomeuptheimposingsteps,guardedbythelargeandportly,doorman。Shehadseenthelobby,guardedbyanotherlargeand,portlygentleman,andbeenwaiteduponbyuniformedyouthswho,tookcareofcanes,overcoats,andthelike。Herewasthe,splendiddining-chamber,alldecoratedandaglow,wherethe,wealthyate。Ah,howfortunatewasMrs。Vance;young,beautiful,andwelloff——atleast,sufficientlysotocomehereinacoach。

Whatawonderfulthingitwastoberich。

Vanceledthewaythroughlanesofshiningtables,atwhichwere,seatedpartiesoftwo,three,four,five,orsix。Theairof,assuranceanddignityaboutitallwasexceedinglynoticeableto,thenovitiate。Incandescentlights,thereflectionoftheirglow,inpolishedglasses,andtheshineofgiltuponthewalls,combinedintoonetoneoflightwhichitrequiresminutesof,complacentobservationtoseparateandtakeparticularnoteof。

Thewhiteshirtfrontsofthegentlemen,thebrightcostumesof,theladies,diamonds,jewels,finefeathers——allwereexceedingly,noticeable。

CarriewalkedwithanairequaltothatofMrs。Vance,and,acceptedtheseatwhichtheheadwaiterprovidedforher。She,waskeenlyawareofallthelittlethingsthatweredone——the,littlegenuflectionsandattentionsofthewaitersandhead,waiterwhichAmericanspayfor。Theairwithwhichthelatter,pulledouteachchair,andthewaveofthehandwithwhichhe,motionedthemtobeseated,wereworthseveraldollarsin,themselves。

Onceseated,therebeganthatexhibitionofshowy,wasteful,and,unwholesomegastronomyaspractisedbywealthyAmericans,which,isthewonderandastonishmentoftruecultureanddignitythe,worldover。Thelargebilloffareheldanarrayofdishes,sufficienttofeedanarmy,sidelinedwithpriceswhichmade,reasonableexpenditurearidiculousimpossibility——anorderof,soupatfiftycentsoradollar,withadozenkindstochoose,from;oystersinfortystylesandatsixtycentsthehalf-dozen;

entrees,fish,andmeatsatpriceswhichwouldhouseoneover,nightinanaveragehotel。Onedollarfiftyandtwodollars,seemedtobethemostcommonfiguresuponthismosttastefully,printedbilloffare。

Carrienoticedthis,andinscanningitthepriceofspring,chickencarriedherbacktothatotherbilloffareandfar,differentoccasionwhen,forthefirsttime,shesatwithDrouet,inagoodrestaurantinChicago。Itwasonlymomentary——asad,noteasoutofanoldsong——andthenitwasgone。Butinthat,flashwasseentheotherCarrie——poor,hungry,driftingather,wits’ends,andallChicagoacoldandclosedworld,fromwhich,sheonlywanderedbecauseshecouldnotfindwork。

Onthewallsweredesignsincolour,squarespotsofrobin’s-egg,blue,setinornateframesofgilt,whosecornerswereelaborate,mouldingsoffruitandflowers,withfatcupidshoveringin,angeliccomfort。Ontheceilingswerecolouredtracerieswith,moregilt,leadingtoacentrewherespreadaclusteroflights——

incandescentglobesmingledwithglitteringprismsandstucco,tendrilsofgilt。Thefloorwasofareddishhue,waxedand,polished,andineverydirectionweremirrors——tall,brilliant,bevel-edgedmirrors——reflectingandre-reflectingforms,faces,andcandelabraascoreandahundredtimes。

Thetableswerenotsoremarkableinthemselves,andyetthe,imprintofSherryuponthenapery,thenameofTiffanyuponthe,silverware,thenameofHavilanduponthechina,andoverallthe,glowofthesmall,red-shadedcandelabraandthereflectedtints,ofthewallsongarmentsandfaces,madethemseemremarkable。

Eachwaiteraddedanairofexclusivenessandelegancebythe,mannerinwhichhebowed,scraped,touched,andtrifledwith,things。Theexclusivelypersonalattentionwhichhedevotedto,eachone,standinghalfbent,eartooneside,elbowsakimbo,saying:“Soup——greenturtle,yes。Oneportion,yes。Oysters——

certainly——half-dozen——yes。Asparagus。Olives——yes。”

Itwouldbethesamewitheachone,onlyVanceessayedtoorder,forall,invitingcounselandsuggestions。Carriestudiedthe,companywithopeneyes。SothiswashighlifeinNewYork。It,wassothattherichspenttheirdaysandevenings。Herpoor,littlemindcouldnotriseaboveapplyingeachscenetoall,society。EveryfineladymustbeinthecrowdonBroadwayinthe,afternoon,inthetheatreatthematinee,inthecoachesand,dining-hallsatnight。Itmustbeglowandshineeverywhere,withcoacheswaiting,andfootmenattending,andshewasoutof,itall。Intwolongyearsshehadneverevenbeeninsucha,placeasthis。

Vancewasinhiselementhere,asHurstwoodwouldhavebeenin,formerdays。Heorderedfreelyofsoup,oysters,roastmeats,andsidedishes,andhadseveralbottlesofwinebrought,which,weresetdownbesidethetableinawickerbasket。

Ameswaslookingawayratherabstractedlyatthecrowdandshowed,aninterestingprofiletoCarrie。Hisforeheadwashigh,his,noseratherlargeandstrong,hischinmoderatelypleasing。He,hadagood,wide,well-shapedmouth,andhisdark-brownhairwas,partedslightlyononeside。Heseemedtohavetheleasttouch,ofboyishnesstoCarrie,andyethewasamanfullgrown。

“Doyouknow,“hesaid,turningbacktoCarrie,afterhis,reflection,“Isometimesthinkitisashameforpeopletospend,somuchmoneythisway。”

Carrielookedathimamomentwiththefaintesttouchofsurprise,athisseriousness。Heseemedtobethinkingaboutsomething,overwhichshehadneverpondered。

“Doyou?”sheanswered,interestedly。

“Yes,“hesaid,“theypaysomuchmorethanthesethingsare,worth。Theyputonsomuchshow。”

“Idon’tknowwhypeopleshouldn’tspendwhentheyhaveit,“said,Mrs。Vance。

“Itdoesn’tdoanyharm,“saidVance,whowasstillstudyingthe,billoffare,thoughhehadordered。

Ameswaslookingawayagain,andCarriewasagainlookingathis,forehead。Toherheseemedtobethinkingaboutstrangethings。

Ashestudiedthecrowdhiseyewasmild。

“Lookatthatwoman’sdressoverthere,“hesaid,againturning,toCarrie,andnoddinginadirection。

“Where?”saidCarrie,followinghiseyes。

“Overthereinthecorner——wayover。Doyouseethatbrooch?”

“Isn’titlarge?”saidCarrie。

“OneofthelargestclustersofjewelsIhaveeverseen,“said,Ames。

“Itis,isn’tit?”saidCarrie。Shefeltasifshewouldliketo,beagreeabletothisyoungman,andalsotherecamewithit,or,perhapsprecededit,theslightestshadeofafeelingthathewas,bettereducatedthanshewas——thathismindwasbetter。He,seemedtolookit,andthesavinggraceinCarriewasthatshe,couldunderstandthatpeoplecouldbewiser。Shehadseena,numberofpeopleinherlifewhoremindedherofwhatshehad,vaguelycometothinkofasscholars。Thisstrongyoungman,besideher,withhisclear,naturallook,seemedtogetaholdof,thingswhichshedidnotquiteunderstand,butapprovedof。It,wasfinetobeso,asaman,shethought。

Theconversationchangedtoabookthatwashavingitsvogueat,thetime——“MouldingaMaiden,“byAlbertRoss。Mrs。Vancehad,readit。Vancehadseenitdiscussedinsomeofthepapers。

“Amancanmakequiteastrikewritingabook,“saidVance。”I

noticethisfellowRossisverymuchtalkedabout。”Hewas,lookingatCarrieashespoke。

“Ihadn’theardofhim,“saidCarrie,honestly。

“Oh,Ihave,“saidMrs。Vance。”He’swrittenlotsofthings。

Thislaststoryisprettygood。”

“Hedoesn’tamounttomuch,“saidAmes。

Carrieturnedhereyestowardhimastoanoracle。

“Hisstuffisnearlyasbadas’DoraThorne,’“concludedAmes。

Carriefeltthisasapersonalreproof。Sheread“DoraThorne,“

orhadagreatdealinthepast。Itseemedonlyfairtoher,but,shesupposedthatpeoplethoughtitveryfine。Nowthisclear-

eyed,fine-headedyouth,wholookedsomethinglikeastudentto,her,madefunofit。Itwaspoortohim,notworthreading。She,lookeddown,andforthefirsttimefeltthepainofnot,understanding。

YettherewasnothingsarcasticorsuperciliousinthewayAmes,spoke。Hehadverylittleofthatinhim。Carriefeltthatit,wasjustkindlythoughtofahighorder——therightthingto,think,andwonderedwhatelsewasright,accordingtohim。He,seemedtonoticethatshelistenedandrathersympathisedwith,him,andfromnowonhetalkedmostlytoher。

Asthewaiterbowedandscrapedabout,feltthedishestoseeif,theywerehotenough,broughtspoonsandforks,anddidallthose,littleattentivethingscalculatedtoimpresstheluxuryofthe,situationuponthediner,Amesalsoleanedslightlytooneside,andtoldherofIndianapolisinanintelligentway。Hereally,hadaverybrightmind,whichwasfindingitschiefdevelopment,inelectricalknowledge。Hissympathiesforotherformsof,information,however,andfortypesofpeople,werequickand,warm。Theredglowonhisheadgaveitasandytingeandputa,brightglintinhiseye。Carrienoticedallthesethingsashe,leanedtowardherandfeltexceedinglyyoung。Thismanwasfar,aheadofher。HeseemedwiserthanHurstwood,sanerandbrighter,thanDrouet。Heseemedinnocentandclean,andshethoughtthat,hewasexceedinglypleasant。Shenoticed,also,thathis,interestinherwasafar-offone。Shewasnotinhislife,nor,anyofthethingsthattouchedhislife,andyetnow,ashespoke,ofthesethings,theyappealedtoher。

“Ishouldn’tcaretoberich,“hetoldher,asthedinner,proceededandthesupplyoffoodwarmeduphissympathies;“not,richenoughtospendmymoneythisway。”

“Oh,wouldn’tyou?”saidCarrie,the,toher,newattitude,forcingitselfdistinctlyuponherforthefirsttime。

“No,“hesaid。”Whatgoodwoulditdo?Amandoesn’tneedthis,sortofthingtobehappy。”

Carriethoughtofthisdoubtfully;but,comingfromhim,ithad,weightwithher。

“Heprobablycouldbehappy,“shethoughttoherself,“allalone。

He’ssostrong。”

Mr。andMrs。Vancekeptuparunningfireofinterruptions,and,theseimpressivethingsbyAmescameatoddmoments。Theywere,sufficient,however,fortheatmospherethatwentwiththisyouth,impresseditselfuponCarriewithoutwords。Therewassomething,inhim,ortheworldhemovedin,whichappealedtoher。He,remindedherofscenesshehadseenonthestage——thesorrowsand,sacrificesthatalwayswentwithsheknewnotwhat。Hehadtaken,awaysomeofthebitternessofthecontrastbetweenthislifeand,herlife,andallbyacertaincalmindifferencewhichconcerned,onlyhim。

Astheywentout,hetookherarmandhelpedherintothecoach,andthentheywereoffagain,andsototheshow。

DuringtheactsCarriefoundherselflisteningtohimvery,attentively。Hementionedthingsintheplaywhichshemost,approvedof——thingswhichswayedherdeeply。

“Don’tyouthinkitratherfinetobeanactor?”sheaskedonce。

“Yes,Ido,“hesaid,“tobeagoodone。Ithinkthetheatrea,greatthing。”

JustthislittleapprovalsetCarrie’sheartbounding。Ah,if,shecouldonlybeanactress——agoodone!Thismanwaswise——he,knew——andheapprovedofit。Ifshewereafineactress,such,menashewouldapproveofher。Shefeltthathewasgoodto,speakashehad,althoughitdidnotconcernheratall。Shedid,notknowwhyshefeltthisway。

Atthecloseoftheshowitsuddenlydevelopedthathewasnot,goingbackwiththem。

“Oh,aren’tyou?”saidCarrie,withanunwarrantablefeeling。

“Oh,no,“hesaid;“I’mstoppingrightaroundhereinThirty-

thirdStreet。”

Carriecouldnotsayanythingelse,butsomehowthisdevelopment,shockedher。Shehadbeenregrettingthewaneofapleasant,evening,butshehadthoughttherewasahalf-hourmore。Oh,the,half-hours,theminutesoftheworld;whatmiseriesandgriefs,arecrowdedintothem!

Shesaidgood-byewithfeignedindifference。Whatmattercould,itmake?Still,thecoachseemedlorn。

Whenshewentintoherownflatshehadthistothinkabout。She,didnotknowwhethershewouldeverseethismananymore。What,differencecoulditmake——whatdifferencecoulditmake?

Hurstwoodhadreturned,andwasalreadyinbed。Hisclotheswere,scatteredlooselyabout。Carriecametothedoorandsawhim,thenretreated。Shedidnotwanttogoinyetawhile。She,wantedtothink。Itwasdisagreeabletoher。

Backinthedining-roomshesatinherchairandrocked。Her,littlehandswerefoldedtightlyasshethought。Throughafog,oflongingandconflictingdesiresshewasbeginningtosee。Oh,yelegionsofhopeandpity——ofsorrowandpain!Shewasrocking,andbeginningtosee。

ChapterXXXIII

WITHOUTTHEWALLEDCITY——THESLOPEOFTHEYEARS

Theimmediateresultofthiswasnothing。Resultsfromsuch,thingsareusuallylongingrowing。Morningbringsachangeof,feeling。Theexistentconditioninvariablypleadsforitself。

Itisonlyatoddmomentsthatwegetglimpsesofthemiseryof,things。Theheartunderstandswhenitisconfrontedwith,contrasts。Takethemawayandtheachesubsides。

Carriewenton,leadingmuchthissamelifeforsixmonths,thereafterormore。ShedidnotseeAmesanymore。Hecalled,onceupontheVances,butsheonlyheardaboutitthroughthe,youngwife。ThenhewentWest,andtherewasagradual,subsidenceofwhateverpersonalattractionhadexisted。The,mentaleffectofthethinghadnotgone,however,andneverwould,entirely。Shehadanidealtocontrastmenby——particularlymen,closetoher。

Duringallthistime——aperiodrapidlyapproachingthreeyears——

Hurstwoodhadbeenmovingalonginanevenpath。Therewasno,apparentslopedownward,anddistinctlynoneupward,sofaras,thecasualobservermighthaveseen。Butpsychologicallythere,wasachange,whichwasmarkedenoughtosuggestthefuturevery,distinctlyindeed。Thiswasinthemerematterofthehalthis,careerhadreceivedwhenhedepartedfromChicago。Aman’s,fortuneormaterialprogressisverymuchthesameashisbodily,growth。Eitherheisgrowingstronger,healthier,wiser,asthe,youthapproachingmanhood,orheisgrowingweaker,older,less,incisivementally,asthemanapproachingoldage。Thereareno,otherstates。Frequentlythereisaperiodbetweenthecessation,ofyouthfulaccretionandthesettingin,inthecaseofthe,middle-agedman,ofthetendencytowarddecaywhenthetwo,processesarealmostperfectlybalancedandthereislittledoing,ineitherdirection。Giventimeenough,however,thebalance,becomesasaggingtothegraveside。Slowlyatfirst,thenwith,amodestmomentum,andatlastthegravewardprocessisinthe,fullswing。Soitisfrequentlywithman’sfortune。Ifits,processofaccretionisneverhalted,ifthebalancingstageis,neverreached,therewillbenotoppling。Richmenare,frequently,inthesedays,savedfromthisdissolutionoftheir,fortunebytheirabilitytohireyoungerbrains。Theseyounger,brainslookupontheinterestsofthefortuneastheirown,and,sosteadyanddirectitsprogress。Ifeachindividualwereleft,absolutelytothecareofhisowninterests,andweregiventime,enoughinwhichtogrowexceedinglyold,hisfortunewouldpass,ashisstrengthandwill。Heandhiswouldbeutterlydissolved,andscattereduntothefourwindsoftheheavens。

Butnowseewhereintheparallelchanges。Afortune,likeaman,isanorganismwhichdrawstoitselfothermindsandother,strengththanthatinherentinthefounder。Besidetheyoung,mindsdrawntoitbysalaries,itbecomesalliedwithyoung,forces,whichmakeforitsexistenceevenwhenthestrengthand,wisdomofthefounderarefading。Itmaybeconservedbythe,growthofacommunityorofastate。Itmaybeinvolvedin,providingsomethingforwhichthereisagrowingdemand。This,removesitatoncebeyondthespecialcareofthefounder。It,needsnotsomuchforesightnowasdirection。Themanwanes,the,needcontinuesorgrows,andthefortune,fallenintowhosehands,itmay,continues。Hence,somemenneverrecognisetheturning,inthetideoftheirabilities。Itisonlyinchancecases,whereafortuneorastateofsuccessiswrestedfromthem,that,thelackofabilitytodoastheydidformerlybecomesapparent。

Hurstwood,setdownundernewconditions,wasinapositionto,seethathewasnolongeryoung。Ifhedidnot,itwasdue,whollytothefactthathisstatewassowellbalancedthatan,absolutechangefortheworsedidnotshow。

Nottrainedtoreasonorintrospecthimself,hecouldnotanalyse,thechangethatwastakingplaceinhismind,andhencehisbody,buthefeltthedepressionofit。Constantcomparisonbetween,hisoldstateandhisnewshowedabalancefortheworse,which,producedaconstantstateofgloomor,atleast,depression。

Now,ithasbeenshownexperimentallythataconstantlysubdued,frameofmindproducescertainpoisonsintheblood,called,katastates,justasvirtuousfeelingsofpleasureanddelight,producehelpfulchemicalscalledanastates。Thepoisons,generatedbyremorseinveighagainstthesystem,andeventually,producemarkedphysicaldeterioration。TotheseHurstwoodwas,subject。

Inthecourseoftimeittolduponhistemper。Hiseyenolonger,possessedthatbuoyant,searchingshrewdnesswhichhad,characteriseditinAdamsStreet。Hisstepwasnotassharpand,firm。Hewasgiventothinking,thinking,thinking。Thenew,friendshemadewerenotcelebrities。Theywereofacheaper,a,slightlymoresensualandcruder,grade。Hecouldnotpossibly,takethepleasureinthiscompanythathehadinthatofthose,finefrequentersoftheChicagoresort。Hewaslefttobrood。

Slowly,exceedinglyslowly,hisdesiretogreet,conciliate,and,makeathomethesepeoplewhovisitedtheWarrenStreetplace,passedfromhim。Moreandmoreslowlythesignificanceofthe,realmhehadleftbegantobeclear。Itdidnotseemso,wonderfultobeinitwhenhewasinit。Ithadseemedveryeasy,foranyonetogetupthereandhaveampleraimentandmoneyto,spend,butnowthathewasoutofit,howfaroffitbecame。He,begantoseeasoneseesacitywithawallaboutit。Menwere,postedatthegates。Youcouldnotgetin。Thoseinsidedidnot,caretocomeouttoseewhoyouwere。Theyweresomerryinside,therethatallthoseoutsidewereforgotten,andhewasonthe,outside。

Eachdayhecouldreadintheeveningpapersofthedoingswithin,thiswalledcity。InthenoticesofpassengersforEuropehe,readthenamesofeminentfrequentersofhisoldresort。Inthe,theatricalcolumnappeared,fromtimetotime,announcementsof,thelatestsuccessesofmenhehadknown。Heknewthattheywere,attheiroldgayeties。Pullmanswerehaulingthemtoandfro,abouttheland,papersweregreetingthemwithinteresting,mentions,theelegantlobbiesofhotelsandtheglowofpolished,dining-roomswerekeepingthemclosewithinthewalledcity。Men,whomhehadknown,menwhomhehadtippedglasseswith——richmen,andhewasforgotten!WhowasMr。Wheeler?WhatwastheWarren,Streetresort?Bah!

Ifonethinksthatsuchthoughtsdonotcometosocommonatype,ofmind——thatsuchfeelingsrequireahighermentaldevelopment——

Iwouldurgefortheirconsiderationthefactthatitisthe,highermentaldevelopmentthatdoesawaywithsuchthoughts。It,isthehighermentaldevelopmentwhichinducesphilosophyand,thatfortitudewhichrefusestodwelluponsuchthings——refuses,tobemadetosufferbytheirconsideration。Thecommontypeof,mindisexceedinglykeenonallmatterswhichrelatetoits,physicalwelfare——exceedinglykeen。Itistheunintellectual,miserwhosweatsbloodatthelossofahundreddollars。Itis,theEpictetuswhosmileswhenthelastvestigeofphysical,welfareisremoved。

Thetimecame,inthethirdyear,whenthisthinkingbeganto,produceresultsintheWarrenStreetplace。Thetideof,patronagedroppedalittlebelowwhatithadbeenatitsbest,sincehehadbeenthere。Thisirritatedandworriedhim。

TherecameanightwhenheconfessedtoCarriethatthebusiness,wasnotdoingaswellthismonthasithadthemonthbefore。

Thiswasinlieuofcertainsuggestionsshehadmadeconcerning,littlethingsshewantedtobuy。Shehadnotfailedtonotice,thathedidnotseemtoconsultheraboutbuyingclothesfor,himself。Forthefirsttime,itstruckherasaruse,orthathe,saiditsothatshewouldnotthinkofaskingforthings。Her,replywasmildenough,butherthoughtswererebellious。Hewas,notlookingafterheratall。Shewasdependingforher,enjoymentupontheVances。

Andnowthelatterannouncedthattheyweregoingaway。Itwas,approachingspring,andtheyweregoingNorth。

“Oh,yes,“saidMrs。VancetoCarrie,“wethinkwemightaswell,giveuptheflatandstoreourthings。We’llbegoneforthe,summer,anditwouldbeauselessexpense。Ithinkwe’llsettle,alittlefartherdowntownwhenwecomeback。”

Carrieheardthiswithgenuinesorrow。ShehadenjoyedMrs。

Vance’scompanionshipsomuch。Therewasnooneelseinthe,housewhomsheknew。Againshewouldbeallalone。

Hurstwood’sgloomovertheslightdecreaseinprofitsandthe,departureoftheVancescametogether。SoCarriehadloneliness,andthismoodofherhusbandtoenjoyatthesametime。Itwasa,grievousthing。Shebecamerestlessanddissatisfied,not,exactly,asshethought,withHurstwood,butwithlife。Whatwas,it?Averydullroundindeed。Whatdidshehave?Nothingbut,thisnarrow,littleflat。TheVancescouldtravel,theycoulddo,thethingsworthdoing,andhereshewas。Forwhatwasshemade,anyhow?Morethoughtfollowed,andthentears——tearsseemed,justified,andtheonlyreliefintheworld。

Foranotherperiodthisstatecontinued,thetwainleadinga,rathermonotonouslife,andthentherewasaslightchangefor,theworse。Oneevening,Hurstwood,afterthinkingaboutawayto,modifyCarrie’sdesireforclothesandthegeneralstrainupon,hisabilitytoprovide,said:

“Idon’tthinkI’lleverbeabletodomuchwithShaughnessy。”

“What’sthematter?”saidCarrie。

“Oh,he’saslow,greedy’mick’!Hewon’tagreetoanythingto,improvetheplace,anditwon’teverpaywithoutit。”

“Can’tyoumakehim?”saidCarrie。

“No;I’vetried。TheonlythingIcansee,ifIwanttoimprove,istogetholdofaplaceofmyown。”

“Whydon’tyou?”saidCarrie。

“Well,allIhaveistiedupintherejustnow。IfIhada,chancetosaveawhileIthinkIcouldopenaplacethatwould,giveusplentyofmoney。”

“Can’twesave?”saidCarrie。

“Wemighttryit,“hesuggested。”I’vebeenthinkingthatif,we’dtakeasmallerflatdowntownandliveeconomicallyfora,year,Iwouldhaveenough,withwhatIhaveinvested,toopena,goodplace。Thenwecouldarrangetoliveasyouwantto。”

“Itwouldsuitmeallright,“saidCarrie,who,nevertheless,feltbadlytothinkithadcometothis。Talkofasmallerflat,soundedlikepoverty。

“TherearelotsofnicelittleflatsdownaroundSixthAvenue,belowFourteenthStreet。Wemightgetonedownthere。”

“I’lllookatthemifyousayso,“saidCarrie。

“IthinkIcouldbreakawayfromthisfellowinsideofayear,“

saidHurstwood。”Nothingwillevercomeofthisarrangementas,it’sgoingonnow。”

“I’lllookaround,“saidCarrie,observingthattheproposed,changeseemedtobeaseriousthingwithhim。

Theupshotofthiswasthatthechangewaseventuallyeffected;

notwithoutgreatgloomonthepartofCarrie。Itreally,affectedhermoreseriouslythananythingthathadyethappened。

ShebegantolookuponHurstwoodwhollyasaman,andnotasa,loverorhusband。Shefeltthoroughlyboundtohimasawife,andthatherlotwascastwithhis,whateveritmightbe;butshe,begantoseethathewasgloomyandtaciturn,notayoung,strong,andbuoyantman。Helookedalittlebitoldtoherabout,theeyesandmouthnow,andtherewereotherthingswhichplaced,himinhistruerank,sofarasherestimationwasconcerned。

Shebegantofeelthatshehadmadeamistake。Incidentally,she,alsobegantorecallthefactthathehadpracticallyforcedher,tofleewithhim。

ThenewflatwaslocatedinThirteenthStreet,ahalfblockwest,ofSixthAvenue,andcontainedonlyfourrooms。Thenew,neighbourhooddidnotappealtoCarrieasmuch。Therewereno,treeshere,nowestviewoftheriver。Thestreetwassolidly,builtup。Thereweretwelvefamilieshere,respectableenough,butnothingliketheVances。Richerpeoplerequiredmorespace。

Beingleftaloneinthislittleplace,Carriedidwithoutagirl。

Shemadeitcharmingenough,butcouldnotmakeitdelighther。

Hurstwoodwasnotinwardlypleasedtothinkthattheyshouldhave,tomodifytheirstate,buthearguedthathecoulddonothing。

Hemustputthebestfaceonit,andletitgoatthat。

HetriedtoshowCarriethattherewasnocauseforfinancial,alarm,butonlycongratulationoverthechancehewouldhaveat,theendoftheyearbytakingherrathermorefrequentlytothe,theatreandbyprovidingaliberaltable。Thiswasforthetime,only。Hewasgettingintheframeofmindwherehewanted,principallytobealoneandtobeallowedtothink。Thedisease,ofbroodingwasbeginningtoclaimhimasavictim。Onlythe,newspapersandhisownthoughtswereworthwhile。Thedelightof,lovehadagainslippedaway。Itwasacaseoflive,now,making,thebestyoucanoutofaverycommonplacestationinlife。

Theroaddownwardhasbutfewlandingsandlevelplaces。The,verystateofhismind,superinducedbyhiscondition,causedthe,breachtowidenbetweenhimandhispartner。Atlastthat,individualbegantowishthatHurstwoodwasoutofit。Itso,happened,however,thatarealestatedealonthepartofthe,ownerofthelandarrangedthingsevenmoreeffectuallythanill-

willcouldhaveschemed。

“Didyouseethat?”saidShaughnessyonemorningtoHurstwood,pointingtotherealestatecolumninacopyofthe“Herald,“

whichheheld。

“No,whatisit?”saidHurstwood,lookingdowntheitemsofnews。

“Themanwhoownsthisgroundhassoldit。”

“Youdon’tsayso?”saidHurstwood。

Helooked,andtherewasthenotice。Mr。AugustVielehad,yesterdayregisteredthetransferofthelot,25x75feet,at,thecornerofWarrenandHudsonStreets,toJ。F。Slawsonforthe,sumof$57,000。

“Ourleaseexpireswhen?”askedHurstwood,thinking。”Next,February,isn’tit?”

“That’sright,“saidShaughnessy。

“Itdoesn’tsaywhatthenewman’sgoingtodowithit,“remarked,Hurstwood,lookingbacktothepaper。

“We’llhear,Iguess,soonenough,“saidShaughnessy。

Sureenough,itdiddevelop。Mr。Slawsonownedtheproperty,adjoining,andwasgoingtoputupamodernofficebuilding。The,presentonewastobetorndown。Itwouldtakeprobablyayear,andahalftocompletetheotherone。

Allthesethingsdevelopedbydegrees,andHurstwoodbeganto,ponderoverwhatwouldbecomeofthesaloon。Onedayhespoke,aboutittohispartner。

“Doyouthinkitwouldbeworthwhiletoopenupsomewhereelse,intheneighbourhood?”

“Whatwouldbetheuse?”saidShaughnessy。”Wecouldn’tget,anothercorneraroundhere。”

“Itwouldn’tpayanywhereelse,doyouthink?”

“Iwouldn’ttryit,“saidtheother。

Theapproachingchangenowtookonamostseriousaspectto,Hurstwood。Dissolutionmeantthelossofhisthousanddollars,andhecouldnotsaveanotherthousandinthetime。He,understoodthatShaughnessywasmerelytiredofthearrangement,andwouldprobablyleasethenewcorner,whencompleted,alone。

Hebegantoworryaboutthenecessityofanewconnectionandto,seeimpendingseriousfinancialstraitsunlesssomethingturned,up。ThislefthiminnomoodtoenjoyhisflatorCarrie,and,consequentlythedepressioninvadedthatquarter。

Meanwhile,hetooksuchtimeashecouldtolookabout,but,opportunitieswerenotnumerous。More,hehadnotthesame,impressivepersonalitywhichhehadwhenhefirstcametoNew,York。Badthoughtshadputashadeintohiseyeswhichdidnot,impressothersfavourably。Neitherhadhethirteenhundred,dollarsinhandtotalkwith。Aboutamonthlater,findingthat,hehadnotmadeanyprogress,Shaughnessyreporteddefinitely,thatSlawsonwouldnotextendthelease。

“Iguessthisthing’sgottocometoanend,“hesaid,affecting,anairofconcern。

“Well,ifithas,ithas,“answeredHurstwood,grimly。Hewould,notgivetheotherakeytohisopinions,whatevertheywere。He,shouldnothavethesatisfaction。

AdayortwolaterhesawthathemustsaysomethingtoCarrie。

“Youknow,“hesaid,“IthinkI’mgoingtogettheworstofmy,dealdownthere。”

“Howisthat?”askedCarrieinastonishment。

“Well,themanwhoownsthegroundhassoldit。andthenew,ownerwon’treleaseittous。Thebusinessmaycometoanend。”

“Can’tyoustartsomewhereelse?”

“Theredoesn’tseemtobeanyplace。Shaughnessydoesn’twant,to。”

“Doyoulosewhatyouputin?”

“Yes,“saidHurstwood,whosefacewasastudy。

“Oh,isn’tthattoobad?”saidCarrie。

“It’satrick,“saidHurstwood。”That’sall。They’llstart,anotherplacethereallright。”

Carrielookedathim,andgatheredfromhiswholedemeanourwhat,itmeant。Itwasserious,veryserious。

“Doyouthinkyoucangetsomethingelse?”sheventured,timidly。

Hurstwoodthoughtawhile。Itwasallupwiththebluffabout,moneyandinvestment。Shecouldseenowthathewas“broke。”

“Idon’tknow,“hesaidsolemnly;“Icantry。”

ChapterXXXIV

THEGRINDOFTHEMILLSTONES——ASAMPLEOFCHAFF

CarrieponderedoverthissituationasconsistentlyasHurstwood,onceshegotthefactsadjustedinhermind。Ittookseveral,daysforhertofullyrealisethattheapproachofthe,dissolutionofherhusband’sbusinessmeantcommonplacestruggle,andprivation。Hermindwentbacktoherearlyventurein,Chicago,theHansonsandtheirflat,andherheartrevolted。

Thatwasterrible!Everythingaboutpovertywasterrible。She,wishedsheknewawayout。Herrecentexperienceswiththe,Vanceshadwhollyunfittedhertoviewherownstatewith,complacence。Theglamourofthehighlifeofthecityhad,in,thefewexperiencesaffordedherbytheformer,seizedher,completely。Shehadbeentaughthowtodressandwheretogo,withouthavingamplemeanstodoeither。Now,thesethings——

ever-presentrealitiesastheywere——filledhereyesandmind。

Themorecircumscribedbecameherstate,themoreentrancing,seemedthisother。Andnowpovertythreatenedtoseizeher,entirelyandtoremovethisotherworldfarupwardlikeaheaven,towhichanyLazarusmightextend,appealingly,hishands。

So,too,theidealbroughtintoherlifebyAmesremained。He,hadgone,butherewashiswordthatricheswerenoteverything;

thattherewasagreatdealmoreintheworldthansheknew;that,thestagewasgood,andtheliteratureshereadpoor。Hewasa,strongmanandclean——howmuchstrongerandbetterthanHurstwood,andDrouetsheonlyhalfformulatedtoherself,butthe,differencewaspainful。Itwassomethingtowhichshe,voluntarilyclosedhereyes。

DuringthelastthreemonthsoftheWarrenStreetconnection,Hurstwoodtookpartsofdaysoffandhunted,trackingthe,businessadvertisements。Itwasamoreorlessdepressing,business,whollybecauseofthethoughtthathemustsoonget,somethingorhewouldbegintoliveonthefewhundreddollarshe,wassaving,andthenhewouldhavenothingtoinvest——hewould,havetohireoutasaclerk。

Everythinghediscoveredinhislineadvertisedasan,opportunity,waseithertooexpensiveortoowretchedforhim。

Besides,winterwascoming,thepaperswereannouncinghardships,andtherewasageneralfeelingofhardtimesintheair,or,at,least,hethoughtso。Inhisworry,otherpeople’sworries,becameapparent。Noitemaboutafirmfailing,afamily,starving,oramandyinguponthestreets,supposedlyof,starvation,butarrestedhiseyeashescannedthemorning,papers。Oncethe“World“cameoutwithaflaringannouncement,about“80,000peopleoutofemploymentinNewYorkthiswinter,“

whichstruckasaknifeathisheart。

“Eightythousand!”hethought。”Whatanawfulthingthatis。”

ThiswasnewreasoningforHurstwood。Intheolddaystheworld,hadseemedtobegettingalongwellenough。Hehadbeenwontto,seesimilarthingsinthe“DailyNews,“inChicago,buttheydid,notholdhisattention。Now,thesethingswerelikegreyclouds,hoveringalongthehorizonofaclearday。Theythreatenedto,coverandobscurehislifewithchillygreyness。Hetriedto,shakethemoff,toforgetandbraceup。Sometimeshesaidto,himself,mentally:

“What’stheuseworrying?I’mnotoutyet。I’vegotsixweeks,more。Evenifworstcomestoworst,I’vegotenoughtoliveon,forsixmonths。”

Curiously,ashetroubledoverhisfuture,histhoughts,occasionallyrevertedtohiswifeandfamily。Hehadavoided,suchthoughtsforthefirstthreeyearsasmuchaspossible。He,hatedher,andhecouldgetalongwithouther。Lethergo。He,woulddowellenough。Now,however,whenhewasnotdoingwell,enough,hebegantowonderwhatshewasdoing,howhischildren,weregettingalong。Hecouldseethemlivingasnicelyasever,occupyingthecomfortablehouseandusinghisproperty。

“ByGeorge!it’sashametheyshouldhaveitall,“hevaguely,thoughttohimselfonseveraloccasions。”Ididn’tdoanything。”

Ashelookedbacknowandanalysedthesituationwhichledupto,histakingthemoney,hebeganmildlytojustifyhimself。What,hadhedone——whatintheworld——thatshouldbarhimoutthisway,andheapsuchdifficultiesuponhim?Itseemedonlyyesterdayto,himsincehewascomfortableandwell-to-do。Butnowitwasall,wrestedfromhim。

“Shedidn’tdeservewhatshegotoutofme,thatissure。I

didn’tdosomuch,ifeverybodycouldjustknow。”

Therewasnothoughtthatthefactsoughttobeadvertised。It,wasonlyamentaljustificationhewasseekingfromhimself——

somethingthatwouldenablehimtobearhisstateasarighteous,man。

Oneafternoon,fiveweeksbeforetheWarrenStreetplaceclosed,up,heleftthesaloontovisitthreeorfourplaceshesaw,advertisedinthe“Herald。”OnewasdowninGoldStreet,andhe,visitedthat,butdidnotenter。Itwassuchacheaplooking,placehefeltthathecouldnotabideit。Anotherwasonthe,Bowery,whichheknewcontainedmanyshowyresorts。Itwasnear,GrandStreet,andturnedouttobeveryhandsomelyfittedup。He,talkedaroundaboutinvestmentsforfullythree-quartersofan,hourwiththeproprietor,whomaintainedthathishealthwas,poor,andthatwasthereasonhewishedapartner。

“Well,now,justhowmuchmoneywouldittaketobuyahalf,interesthere?”saidHurstwood,whosawsevenhundreddollarsas,hislimit。

“Threethousand,“saidtheman。

Hurstwood’sjawfell。

“Cash?”hesaid。

“Cash。”

Hetriedtoputonanairofdeliberation,asonewhomight,reallybuy;buthiseyesshowedgloom。Hewoundupbysayinghe,wouldthinkitover,andcameaway。Themanhehadbeentalking,tosensedhisconditioninavagueway。

“Idon’tthinkhewantstobuy,“hesaidtohimself。”Hedoesn’t,talkright。”

Theafternoonwasasgreyasleadandcold。Itwasblowingupa,disagreeablewinterwind。Hevisitedaplacefarupontheeast,side,nearSixty-ninthStreet,anditwasfiveo’clock,and,growingdim,whenhereachedthere。AportlyGermankeptthis,place。

“Howaboutthisadofyours?”askedHurstwood,whorather,objectedtothelooksoftheplace。

“Oh,datissallover,“saidtheGerman。”Ivillnotsellnow。”

“Oh,isthatso?”

“Yes;dereisnothingtodat。Itissallover。”

“Verywell,“saidHurstwood,turningaround。

TheGermanpaidnomoreattentiontohim,anditmadehimangry。

“Thecrazyass!”hesaidtohimself。”Whatdoeshewantto,advertisefor?”

Whollydepressed,hestartedforThirteenthStreet。Theflathad,onlyalightinthekitchen,whereCarriewasworking。Hestruck,amatchand,lightingthegas,satdowninthedining-room,withoutevengreetingher。Shecametothedoorandlookedin。

“It’syou,isit?”shesaid,andwentback。

“Yes,“hesaid,withoutevenlookingupfromtheeveningpaperhe,hadbought。

Carriesawthingswerewrongwithhim。Hewasnotsohandsome,whengloomy。Thelinesatthesidesoftheeyesweredeepened。

Naturallydarkofskin,gloommadehimlookslightlysinister。

Hewasquiteadisagreeablefigure。

Carriesetthetableandbroughtinthemeal。

“Dinner’sready,“shesaid,passinghimforsomething。

Hedidnotanswer,readingon。

Shecameinandsatdownatherplace,feelingexceedingly,wretched。

“Won’tyoueatnow?”sheasked。

Hefoldedhispaperanddrewnear,silenceholdingforatime,exceptforthe“Passme’s。”

“It’sbeengloomyto-day,hasn’tit?”venturedCarrie,aftera,time。

“Yes,“hesaid。

Heonlypickedathisfood。

“Areyoustillsuretocloseup?”saidCarrie,venturingtotake,upthesubjectwhichtheyhaddiscussedoftenenough。

“Ofcourseweare,“hesaid,withtheslightestmodificationof,sharpness。

ThisretortangeredCarrie。Shehadhadadrearydayofit,herself。

“Youneedn’ttalklikethat,“shesaid。

“Oh!”heexclaimed,pushingbackfromthetable,asiftosay,more,butlettingitgoatthat。Thenhepickeduphispaper。

Carrieleftherseat,containingherselfwithdifficulty。Hesaw,shewashurt。

“Don’tgo’way,“hesaid,asshestartedbackintothekitchen。

“Eatyourdinner。”

Shepassed,notanswering。

Helookedatthepaperafewmoments,andthenroseupandputon,hiscoat。

“I’mgoingdowntown,Carrie,“hesaid,comingout。”I’moutof,sortsto-night。”

Shedidnotanswer。

“Don’tbeangry,“hesaid。”Itwillbeallrighttomorrow。”

Helookedather,butshepaidnoattentiontohim,workingat,herdishes。

“Good-bye!”hesaidfinally,andwentout。

Thiswasthefirststrongresultofthesituationbetweenthem,butwiththenearingofthelastdayofthebusinessthegloom,becamealmostapermanentthing。Hurstwoodcouldnotconcealhis,feelingsaboutthematter。Carriecouldnothelpwonderingwhere,shewasdrifting。Itgotsothattheytalkedevenlessthan,usual,andyetitwasnotHurstwoodwhofeltanyobjectionto,Carrie。ItwasCarriewhoshiedawayfromhim。Thishenoticed。

Itarousedanobjectiontoherbecomingindifferenttohim。He,madethepossibilityoffriendlyintercoursealmostagianttask,andthennoticedwithdiscontentthatCarrieaddedtoitbyher,mannerandmadeitmoreimpossible。

Atlastthefinaldaycame。Whenitactuallyarrived,Hurstwood,whohadgothismindintosuchastatewhereathunderclapand,ragingstormwouldhaveseemedhighlyappropriate,wasrather,relievedtofindthatitwasaplain,ordinaryday。Thesun,shone,thetemperaturewaspleasant。Hefelt,ashecametothe,breakfasttable,thatitwasn’tsoterrible,afterall。

“Well,“hesaidtoCarrie,“to-day’smylastdayonearth。”

Carriesmiledinanswertohishumour。

Hurstwoodglancedoverhispaperrathergayly。Heseemedtohave,lostaload。

“I’llgodownforalittlewhile,“hesaidafterbreakfast,“and,thenI’lllookaround。To-morrowI’llspendthewholeday,lookingabout。IthinkIcangetsomething,nowthisthing’soff,myhands。”

Hewentoutsmilingandvisitedtheplace。Shaughnessywas,there。Theyhadmadeallarrangementstoshareaccordingto,theirinterests。When,however,hehadbeenthereseveralhours,goneoutthreemore,andreturned,hiselationhaddeparted。As,muchashehadobjectedtotheplace,nowthatitwasnolonger,toexist,hefeltsorry。Hewishedthatthingsweredifferent。

Shaughnessywascoollybusinesslike。

“Well,“hesaidatfiveo’clock,“wemightaswellcountthe,changeanddivide。”

Theydidso。Thefixtureshadalreadybeensoldandthesum,divided。

“Good-night,“saidHurstwoodatthefinalmoment,inalast,efforttobegenial。

“Solong,“saidShaughnessy,scarcelydeigninganotice。

ThustheWarrenStreetarrangementwaspermanentlyconcluded。

Carriehadpreparedagooddinnerattheflat,butafterhisride,up,Hurstwoodwasinasolemnandreflectivemood。

“Well?”saidCarrie,inquisitively。

“I’moutofthat,“heanswered,takingoffhiscoat。

Asshelookedathim,shewonderedwhathisfinancialstatewas,now。Theyateandtalkedalittle。

“Willyouhaveenoughtobuyinanywhereelse?”askedCarrie。

“No,“hesaid。”I’llhavetogetsomethingelseandsaveup。”

“Itwouldbeniceifyoucouldgetsomeplace,“saidCarrie,promptedbyanxietyandhope。

“IguessIwill,“hesaidreflectively。

Forsomedaysthereafterheputonhisovercoatregularlyinthe,morningandsalliedforth。Ontheseventureshefirstconsoled,himselfwiththethoughtthatwiththesevenhundreddollarshe,hadhecouldstillmakesomeadvantageousarrangement。He,thoughtaboutgoingtosomebrewery,which,asheknew,frequentlycontrolledsaloonswhichtheyleased,andgetthemto,helphim。Thenherememberedthathewouldhavetopayout,severalhundredanywayforfixturesandthathewouldhave,nothingleftforhismonthlyexpenses。Itwascostinghimnearly,eightydollarsamonthtolive。

“No,“hesaid,inhissanestmoments,“Ican’tdoit。I’llget,somethingelseandsaveup。”

Thisgetting-somethingpropositioncomplicateditselfthemoment,hebegantothinkofwhatitwashewantedtodo。Managea,place?Whereshouldhegetsuchaposition?Thepaperscontained,norequestsformanagers。Suchpositions,heknewwellenough,wereeithersecuredbylongyearsofserviceorwereboughtwith,ahalforthirdinterest。Intoaplaceimportantenoughtoneed,suchamanagerhehadnotmoneyenoughtobuy。

Nevertheless,hestartedout。Hisclotheswereverygoodandhis,appearancestillexcellent,butitinvolvedthetroubleof,deluding。People,lookingathim,imaginedinstantlythataman,ofhisage,stoutandwelldressed,mustbewelloff。He,appearedacomfortableownerofsomething,amanfromwhomthe,commonrunofmortalscouldwellexpectgratuities。Beingnow,forty-threeyearsofage,andcomfortablybuilt,walkingwasnot,easy。Hehadnotbeenusedtoexerciseformanyyears。Hislegs,tired,hisshouldersached,andhisfeetpainedhimattheclose,oftheday,evenwhenhetookstreetcarsinalmostevery,direction。Themeregettingupanddown,iflongcontinued,producedthisresult。

Thefactthatpeopletookhimtobebetteroffthanhewas,he,wellunderstood。Itwassopainfullycleartohimthatit,retardedhissearch。Notthathewishedtobelesswell-

appearing,butthathewasashamedtobeliehisappearanceby,incongruousappeals。Sohehesitated,wonderingwhattodo。

Hethoughtofthehotels,butinstantlyherememberedthathehad,hadnoexperienceasaclerk,and,whatwasmoreimportant,no,acquaintancesorfriendsinthatlinetowhomhecouldgo。He,didknowsomehotelownersinseveralcities,includingNewYork,buttheyknewofhisdealingswithFitzgeraldandMoy。Hecould,notapplytothem。Hethoughtofotherlinessuggestedbylarge,buildingsorbusinesseswhichheknewof——wholesalegroceries,hardware,insuranceconcerns,andthelike——buthehadhadno,experience。

Howtogoaboutgettinganythingwasabitterthought。Wouldhe,havetogopersonallyandask;waitoutsideanofficedoor,and,then,distinguishedandaffluentlooking,announcethathewas,lookingforsomethingtodo?Hestrainedpainfullyatthe,thought。No,hecouldnotdothat。

Hereallystrolledabout,thinking,andthen,theweatherbeing,cold,steppedintoahotel。Heknewhotelswellenoughtoknow,thatanydecentindividualwaswelcometoachairinthelobby。

ThiswasintheBroadwayCentral,whichwasthenoneofthemost,importanthotelsinthecity。Takingachairherewasapainful,thingtohim。Tothinkheshouldcometothis!Hehadheard,loungersabouthotelscalledchairwarmers。Hehadcalledthem,thathimselfinhisday。Butherehewas,despitethe,possibilityofmeetingsomeonewhoknewhim,shieldinghimself,fromcoldandthewearinessofthestreetsinahotellobby。

“Ican’tdothisway,“hesaidtohimself。”There’snouseofmy,startingoutmorningswithoutfirstthinkingupsomeplacetogo。

I’llthinkofsomeplacesandthenlookthemup。”

Itoccurredtohimthatthepositionsofbartenderswere,sometimesopen,butheputthisoutofhismind。Bartender——he,theex-manager!

Itgrewawfullydullsittinginthehotellobby,andsoatfour,hewenthome。Hetriedtoputonabusinessairashewentin,butitwasafeebleimitation。Therockingchairinthedining-

roomwascomfortable。Hesankintoitgladly,withseveral,papershehadbought,andbegantoread。

Asshewasgoingthroughtheroomtobeginpreparingdinner,Carriesaid:

“Themanwasherefortherentto-day。”

“Oh,washe?”saidHurstwood。

Theleastwrinklecreptintohisbrowasherememberedthatthis,wasFebruary2d,thetimethemanalwayscalled。Hefisheddown,inhispocketforhispurse,gettingthefirsttasteofpaying,outwhennothingiscomingin。Helookedatthefat,greenroll,asasickmanlooksattheonepossiblesavingcure。Thenhe,countedofftwenty-eightdollars。

“Hereyouare,“hesaidtoCarrie,whenshecamethroughagain。

Heburiedhimselfinhispapersandread。Oh,therestofit——

therelieffromwalkingandthinking!WhatLetheanwaterswere,thesefloodsoftelegraphedintelligence!Heforgothistroubles,inpart。Herewasayoung,handsomewoman,ifyoumightbelieve,thenewspaperdrawing,suingarich,fat,candy-makinghusbandin,Brooklynfordivorce。Herewasanotheritemdetailingthe,wreckingofavesseliniceandsnowoffPrince’sBayonStaten,Island。Along,brightcolumntoldofthedoingsinthe,theatricalworld——theplaysproduced,theactorsappearing,the,managersmakingannouncements。FannieDavenportwasjustopening,attheFifthAvenue。Dalywasproducing“KingLear。”Hereadof,theearlydeparturefortheseasonofapartycomposedofthe,VanderbiltsandtheirfriendsforFlorida。Aninteresting,shootingaffraywasoninthemountainsofKentucky。Soheread,read,read,rockinginthewarmroomneartheradiatorand,waitingfordinnertobeserved。

ChapterXXXV

THEPASSINGOFEFFORT——THEVISAGEOFCARE

Thenextmorninghelookedoverthepapersandwadedthrougha,longlistofadvertisements,makingafewnotes。Thenheturned,tothemale-help-wantedcolumn,butwithdisagreeablefeelings。

Thedaywasbeforehim——alongdayinwhichtodiscover,something——andthiswashowhemustbegintodiscover。He,scannedthelongcolumn,whichmostlyconcernedbakers,bushelmen,cooks,compositors,drivers,andthelike,findingtwo,thingsonlywhicharrestedhiseye。Onewasacashierwantedin,awholesalefurniturehouse,andtheotherasalesmanfora,whiskeyhouse。Hehadneverthoughtofthelatter。Atoncehe,decidedtolookthatup。

ThefirminquestionwasAlsbery&Co。whiskeybrokers。

Hewasadmittedalmostatoncetothemanageronhisappearance。

“Good-morning,sir,“saidthelatter,thinkingatfirstthathe,wasencounteringoneofhisout-of-towncustomers。

“Good-morning,“saidHurstwood。”Youadvertised,Ibelieve,for,asalesman?”

“Oh,“saidtheman,showingplainlytheenlightenmentwhichhad,cometohim。”Yes。Yes,Idid。”

“IthoughtI’ddropin,“saidHurstwood,withdignity。”I’vehad,someexperienceinthatlinemyself。”

“Oh,haveyou?”saidtheman。”Whatexperiencehaveyouhad?”

“Well,I’vemanagedseveralliquorhousesinmytime。RecentlyI

ownedathird-interestinasaloonatWarrenandHudsonstreets。”

“Isee,“saidtheman。

Hurstwoodceased,waitingforsomesuggestion。

“Wedidwantasalesman,“saidtheman。”Idon’tknowasit’s,anythingyou’dcaretotakeholdof,though。”

“Isee,“saidHurstwood。”Well,I’minnopositiontochoose,justatpresent。Ifitwereopen,Ishouldbegladtogetit。”

Themandidnottakekindlyatalltohis“Nopositionto,choose。”Hewantedsomeonewhowasn’tthinkingofachoiceor,somethingbetter。Especiallynotanoldman。Hewantedsomeone,young,active,andgladtoworkactivelyforamoderatesum。

Hurstwooddidnotpleasehimatall。Hehadmoreofanairthan,hisemployers。

“Well,“hesaidinanswer,“we’dbegladtoconsideryour,application。Weshan’tdecideforafewdaysyet。Supposeyou,sendusyourreferences。”

“Iwill,“saidHurstwood。

Henoddedgood-morningandcameaway。Atthecornerhelookedat,thefurniturecompany’saddress,andsawthatitwasinWest,Twenty-thirdStreet。Accordingly,hewentupthere。Theplace,wasnotlargeenough,however。Itlookedmoderate,themeninit,idleandsmallsalaried。Hewalkedby,glancingin,andthen,decidednottogointhere。

“Theywantagirl,probably,attenaweek,“hesaid。

Atoneo’clockhethoughtofeating,andwenttoarestaurantin,MadisonSquare。Thereheponderedoverplaceswhichhemight,lookup。Hewastired。Itwasblowingupgreyagain。Across,theway,throughMadisonSquarePark,stoodthegreathotels,lookingdownuponabusyscene。Hedecidedtogoovertothe,lobbyofoneandsitawhile。Itwaswarminthereandbright。

HehadseennooneheknewattheBroadwayCentral。Inall,likelihoodhewouldencounternoonehere。Findingaseatonone,oftheredplushdivansclosetothegreatwindowswhichlookout,onBroadway’sbusyrout,hesatmusing。Hisstatedidnotseem,sobadinhere。Sittingstillandlookingout,hecouldtake,someslightconsolationinthefewhundreddollarshehadinhis,purse。Hecouldforget,inameasure,thewearinessofthe,streetandhistiresomesearches。Still,itwasonlyescapefrom,aseveretoalessseverestate。Hewasstillgloomyand,disheartened。There,minutesseemedtogoveryslowly。Anhour,wasalong,longtimeinpassing。Itwasfilledforhimwith,observationsandmentalcommentsconcerningtheactualguestsof,thehotel,whopassedinandout,andthosemoreprosperous,pedestrianswhosegoodfortuneshowedintheirclothesand,spiritsastheypassedalongBroadway,outside。Itwasnearly,thefirsttimesincehehadarrivedinthecitythathisleisure,affordedhimampleopportunitytocontemplatethisspectacle。

Now,being,perforce,idlehimself,hewonderedattheactivity,ofothers。Howgayweretheyouthshesaw,howprettythewomen。

Suchfineclothestheyallwore。Theyweresointentupon,gettingsomewhere。Hesawcoquettishglancescastbymagnificent,girls。Ah,themoneyitrequiredtotrainwithsuch——howwellhe,knew!Howlongithadbeensincehehadhadtheopportunitytodo,so!

Theclockoutsideregisteredfour。Itwasalittleearly,buthe,thoughthewouldgobacktotheflat。

Thisgoingbacktotheflatwascoupledwiththethoughtthat,Carriewouldthinkhewassittingaroundtoomuchifhecamehome,early。Hehopedhewouldn’thaveto,butthedayhungheavilyon,hishands。Overtherehewasonhisownground。Hecouldsitin,hisrocking-chairandread。Thisbusy,distracting,suggestive,scenewasshutout。Hecouldreadhispapers。Accordingly,he,wenthome。Carriewasreading,quitealone。Itwasratherdark,intheflat,shutinasitwas。

“You’llhurtyoureyes,“hesaidwhenhesawher。

Aftertakingoffhiscoat,hefeltitincumbentuponhimtomake,somelittlereportofhisday。

“I’vebeentalkingwithawholesaleliquorcompany,“hesaid。”I

maygoontheroad。”

“Wouldn’tthatbenice!”saidCarrie。

“Itwouldn’tbesuchabadthing,“heanswered。

Alwaysfromthemanatthecornernowheboughttwopapers——the,“EveningWorld“and“EveningSun。”Sonowhemerelypickedhis,papersup,ashecameby,withoutstopping。

Hedrewuphischairneartheradiatorandlightedthegas。Then,itwasastheeveningbefore。Hisdifficultiesvanishedinthe,itemshesowelllovedtoread。

Thenextdaywasevenworsethantheonebefore,becausenowhe,couldnotthinkofwheretogo。Nothinghesawinthepapershe,studied——tillteno’clock——appealedtohim。Hefeltthathe,oughttogoout,andyethesickenedatthethought。Whereto,whereto?

“Youmustn’tforgettoleavememymoneyforthisweek,“said,Carrie,quietly。

Theyhadanarrangementbywhichheplacedtwelvedollarsaweek,inherhands,outofwhichtopaycurrentexpenses。Heheaveda,littlesighasshesaidthis,anddrewouthispurse。Againhe,feltthedreadofthething。Herehewastakingoff,takingoff,andnothingcomingin。

“Lord!”hesaid,inhisownthoughts,“thiscan’tgoon。”

ToCarriehesaidnothingwhatsoever。Shecouldfeelthather,requestdisturbedhim。Topayherwouldsoonbecomea,distressingthing。

“Yet,whathaveIgottodowithit?”shethought。”Oh,why,shouldIbemadetoworry?”

HurstwoodwentoutandmadeforBroadway。Hewantedtothinkup,someplace。Beforelong,though,hereachedtheGrandHotelat,Thirty-firstStreet。Heknewofitscomfortablelobby。Hewas,coldafterhistwentyblocks’walk。

“I’llgointheirbarbershopandgetashave,“hethought。

Thushejustifiedhimselfinsittingdowninhereafterhis,tonsorialtreatment。

Again,timehangingheavilyonhishands,hewenthomeearly,and,thiscontinuedforseveraldays,eachdaytheneedtohunt,paininghim,andeachdaydisgust,depression,shamefacedness,drivinghimintolobbyidleness。

Atlastthreedayscameinwhichastormprevailed,andhedid,notgooutatall。Thesnowbegantofalllateoneafternoon。

Itwasaregularflurryoflarge,soft,whiteflakes。Inthe,morningitwasstillcomingdownwithahighwind,andthepapers,announcedablizzard。Fromoutthefrontwindowsonecouldseea,deep,softbedding。

“IguessI’llnottrytogooutto-day,“hesaidtoCarrieat,breakfast。”It’sgoingtobeawfulbad,sothepaperssay。”

“Themanhasn’tbroughtmycoal,either,“saidCarrie,who,orderedbythebushel。

“I’llgooverandseeaboutit,“saidHurstwood。Thiswasthe,firsttimehehadeversuggesteddoinganerrand,but,somehow,thewishtositaboutthehouseprompteditasasortof,compensationfortheprivilege。

Alldayandallnightitsnowed,andthecitybegantosuffer,fromageneralblockadeoftraffic。Greatattentionwasgivento,thedetailsofthestormbythenewspapers,whichplayedupthe,distressofthepoorinlargetype。

Hurstwoodsatandreadbyhisradiatorinthecorner。Hedidnot,trytothinkabouthisneedofwork。Thisstormbeingso,terrific,andtyingupallthings,robbedhimoftheneed。He,madehimselfwhollycomfortableandtoastedhisfeet。

Carrieobservedhiseasewithsomemisgiving。Forallthefury,ofthestormshedoubtedhiscomfort。Hetookhissituationtoo,philosophically。

Hurstwood,however,readonandon。Hedidnotpaymuch,attentiontoCarrie。Shefulfilledherhouseholddutiesandsaid,littletodisturbhim。

Thenextdayitwasstillsnowing,andthenext,bittercold。

Hurstwoodtookthealarmofthepaperandsatstill。Nowhe,volunteeredtodoafewotherlittlethings。Onewastogoto,thebutcher,anothertothegrocery。Hereallythoughtnothing,oftheselittleservicesinconnectionwiththeirtrue,significance。Hefeltasifhewerenotwhollyuseless——indeed,insuchastressofweather,quiteworthwhileaboutthehouse。

Onthefourthday,however,itcleared,andhereadthatthe,stormwasover。Now,however,heidled,thinkinghowsloppythe,streetswouldbe。

Itwasnoonbeforehefinallyabandonedhispapersandgotunder,way。Owingtotheslightlywarmertemperaturethestreetswere,bad。HewentacrossFourteenthStreetonthecarandgota,transfersouthonBroadway。Onelittleadvertisementhehad,relatingtoasaloondowninPearlStreet。Whenhereachedthe,BroadwayCentral,however,hechangedhismind。

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