sister carrie

Chapter 25

Chapter 14 Turning a blind eye: There is an influence that is fading
Carrie beamed in her room that night, physically and mentally.Her affection for Hurstwood, and his admiration, delighted her for something, and she was full of sweet fantasies about their next meeting on Sunday evening.They agreed that she would meet him downtown, not out of any deliberate desire to keep the secrecy, although in the end the need for secrecy was the reason for the arrangement.

Mrs. Hale saw her come in from her upstairs window.

"Well," she thought, "her husband is out, and she goes for a drive with another man. He'd better have an extra eye on her."

The fact is that Mrs. Hale was not alone in thinking this way.The maid who had served Hurstwood had her own opinion.She didn't like Carrie very much, thinking that she was cold and unlovable.At the same time she was fascinated by the jovial Drouet.He said a few words to her kindly, and also expressed his affection for her in other ways, which is what he always does to women.Hurstwood's attitude is more reserved and reserved.He could not please the maid as well as Drouet.She wondered how he came so often; how Mrs. Drouet went out with him this afternoon when Mr. Drouet was out.She made her remarks in the kitchen too, where the cook was present.The result is that gossip spreads and spreads around the room.Gossip has always been like this.

In Carrie's case, now that she was so devoted to Hurstwood and had confessed her affection for him, she was no longer troubled by her attitude towards him.For a while she thought little of Drouet, only of her lover's manner and her haggard affection, and during the first evening she recalled over and over the details of that afternoon.For the first time in her life such sympathy was excited, and it gave a new glamor to her character.A bit of the original initiative that had been dormant in her was beginning to come into play as she considered her situation in a pragmatic way and began to see a way out gleaming in front of her.Hurstwood seemed to be leading her in the path of decency. (meaning she thought he wanted to marry her. - Translator).She was so emotionally trusting that these recent events she interpreted as offering some sort of escape from an unseemly situation.What Hurstwood would say next, she did not give much thought to.She only regards her affection as a good thing, and thinks that it must produce good and generous results.

Hitherto Hurstwood had thought only of fun, and not of duty.He didn't feel that anything he was doing was going to cause trouble in his life.His position was secure, his family was undisturbed, if not satisfactory, and his personal liberties were, so to speak, unfettered.Carrie's love was but added pleasure.He will cherish this new gift more than the usual pleasure.He would be happy with her, and his career would go on as before, unhindered.

On Sunday evening, Carrie and he ate dinner at a restaurant on East Adam Road he had chosen, and after dinner they hired a carriage to visit a famous place of interest at that time on High Peggle Road near 39th Street.Before and after his confession of love, he soon understands that Carrie views his love on a higher level than he expected.Out of sincerity, she kept a little distance from him, accepting only the tender gestures of an inexperienced lover.Hurstwood could see that she was not someone he could have at a whim, and there was no haste in the courtship.

Since he pretended he believed she was married, he found he had to play his part accordingly.He knew in his heart that he was still some distance away from victory.As for how far the distance is, he still can't guess.

On the way back toward the Ogton apartment, he asked:
"When shall I see you again?"

"I don't know," she replied, not even herself sure.

"Why don't you come to the market," he offered, "on a Tuesday."

She shook her head.

"Not so fast," she replied.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he went on, "and I'll write to you through the West End Post Office. Can you come on Tuesday?"

Carrie agreed.

The carriage stopped a door from Carrie's lodgings, as he had ordered.

"Good-bye," he said softly as the carriage drove away.

To the detriment of things going well, Drouet is back.Next day, as Hurstwood sat in his pompous office, he saw Drouet enter.

"Ah, hello, Charlie," he greeted graciously, "are you back?"

"Yes." Drouet came over with a smile, and looked in at the door.

Hurstwood rose to his feet.

"Ah," he said, looking over the salesman, "still looking good, huh?"

They started talking about people they knew and what had happened.

"Going home?" Hurstwood asked afterward.

"No, go back now," said Drouet.

"I remember that little girl over there," said Hurstwood, "and went to see her once. I don't think you want her to be too lonely."

"You are right," agreed Drouet. "How is she?"

"Very well," said Hurstwood, "but it's your fault. You'd better go now and cheer her up."

"Yes," said Drouet, smiling.

"Come over Wednesday, both of you, to the theatre," said Hurstwood at parting.

"Thanks, old chap," said his friend, "see what the girl says, and I'll tell her."

They parted in a friendly voice.

"That's a good fellow," thought Drouet, as he turned the corner toward Madison Street.

"Drouet's a good man," thought Hurstwood, as he went to his office, "but he's not good enough for Carrie."

The thought of Carrie filled him with joy, and he wondered how he might get the upper hand on the salesman.

When he appeared in front of Carrie, he embraced her as usual, but when he kissed her, she flinched in horror.

"Ah," he said, "it's a good trip out this time."

"Really? How about the deal you told me last time with the guys from La Crosse?"

"Very well, sold him a whole lot. There was another guy there, for Bernstein, a hook-nosed Jew, but it didn't make a deal. I don't take him seriously Son."

He unbuttoned his tie, unbuttoned his sleeves, prepared to wash his face and change his clothes, while talking a lot about this trip.Carrie could not help listening to his vivid description with interest.

"I'll tell you," he said, "I've taken home office folks by surprise. I've sold more stuff this season than any salesman in our store. In La Clos I sold $3000 .”

He soaked his face in the basin, and wiped his neck and ears, puffing and puffing, while Carrie gazed at him, mingling memories of the past and judgments of the present.As he continued to wipe his face, he said:

"I'm going to ask for a raise in June. I'm making so much from my business that they can pay for it. I'm going to get mine too, right?"

"I hope you succeed," said Carrie.

"And then, if that little real estate business I've got is over, we'll get married." He expressed a serious attitude, standing in front of the mirror to comb his hair.

"I don't believe you ever intended to marry me, Charlie," said Carrie sadly.Hurstwood's recent pledge to her had given her the courage to say so.

"Oh, I want it—of course I want it—how could you think that?"

He put down what he was sorting out in front of the mirror and walked up to her.For the first time, Carrie felt as though she must avoid him.

"But you keep saying that, and the days are not short," she said, looking up at him with her pretty face.

"Oh, I'm telling the truth, but it takes money to live the life I want to live. Well, when I've raised my money, I'll pretty much get everything in order, so I'll do it. Oh, don't worry, little girl."

He patted her on the shoulder to reassure her, but it seemed to Carrie that her hopes remained very dim indeed.She saw clearly that this carefree figure had no intention of making a move for her.He just let everything go, just because he likes the current free life, free from all legal constraints.

In contrast, Hurstwood appears strong and sincere.He wasn't giving her prevarications in a casual manner.He sympathized with her and made her understand her own true worth.He needed him, and Drouet didn't care about her.

"Oh no," she said ruefully, in a tone that reflected something of her own progress, more of her desperation, "you never will."

"Well, you'll only have to wait a little while to find out," he concluded. "Of course I'll marry you."

Carrie looked at him, feeling that she was right.She hoped that her own conscience would be at peace, and now, her just request was rewarded with such casual and frivolous disregard.He once swore to each other and promised to marry her, but now he is fulfilling his promise in this way.

"Listen," he said, thinking that the matter of marriage was settled smoothly, "I saw Hurstwood today, and he wants us to go to the theater with him."

Carrie started at the name, but recovered herself quickly so as not to attract attention.

"When?" she asked, pretending to be indifferent.

"Wednesday. We're going, aren't we?"

"As long as it pleases you," she replied, with an air of reserved reserve that almost aroused suspicion.Drouet felt that there was something, but he thought it was because of what she had just said about marriage.

"He said he came to visit once," he said.

"Yes," said Carrie, "he came on Sunday night."

"Really?" said Drouet. "From the way he said it, I thought he was here about a week ago."

"Yes," replied Carrie.She had no idea what her lover had said.She was completely at a loss, and was afraid that what she said would hurt herself.

"Oh, so he's been here twice?" said Drouet, for the first time showing a misconception.

"Yes."

Drouet thought he must have misheard his friend.Anyway, he didn't pay attention to the argument in this regard.

"What did he say?" he asked, only slightly more curious.

"He said that he came to visit because he was afraid that I would be lonely. You haven't been there for so long, and he doesn't know what's going on with you."

"George is a nice guy," said Drouet, who thought he was quite pleased with the manager's concern. "Come on, let's go out to dinner."

Seeing Drouet's return, Hurstwood wrote to Carrie at once, saying:
"I told him I came to see you when he was away, my dear. I didn't mention it several times, but he probably thought it was one. Tell me what you say. Send me a letter when you receive it. Come, dear, I must see you. Can you meet me at the corner of Jackson and Slopper Streets at two o'clock Wednesday afternoon, please. I'm at the theater, and I have something to say to you before we meet."

Carrie received the letter when she went to the West End Post Office on Tuesday morning, and wrote immediately.

"I said you came twice," she said, "and he didn't seem to mind. I'd come to Slopper Street if nothing disturbed me. Looks like I've turned bad. I know, I It's not right to do that."

Hurstwood met her as promised, and told her not to worry about it.

"You needn't worry, my love," said he, "as soon as he goes out next time, we'll make arrangements. We can get things over with, and you don't have to lie to anybody."

Carrie had expected him to marry her at once, though he did not say so directly, and she was in high spirits, and intended to make things as well as possible, until Drouet went out again.

"Don't care for me more than what has happened," Hurstwood counseled Carrie about this evening's theater.

"You mustn't keep your eyes on me," she said, thinking of the power of his eyes.

"I won't," he said, squeezing her hand at parting and giving her the very look she had just warned him about.

"There you go again," she joked, pointing a finger at him.

"The play hasn't begun yet," he replied.

He reluctantly watched her walk away.The effect of such youthful beauty on him was like drinking alcohol that intoxicated her.

In the theater, all went well in Hurstwood's favor.If he had won Carrie's favor in the past, he was still more so now.His grace was heightened by the other's greater admiration than before.Carrie watched with delight in his every move.She had almost forgotten poor Drouet, who went on chattering as if he were the host.

Hurstwood was too clever a man to show the slightest change.If anything, he was more attentive to his old friend than he had been before, and never embarrassing him, which is a trick that lovers usually play secretly in front of their mistresses.If anything, he found it all so unfair, and he was by no means mean enough to further mentally tease people.

Only the irony of the situation was created by the play, and Drouet alone could be blamed for that.

The one that was performed was the one from The Oath.The wife listens to a lover seduce her in the absence of her husband.

"This is the way to do her," said Drouet, after seeing it, though the heroine had atoned deeply for her mistake. "This person is a piece of wood, and I have no pity for such a person."

"Well, that's hard to say," returned Hurstwood mildly. "She may think she's right."

"Well, if a person intends to keep his wife, he should be more careful."

They were walking down the aisle of the theater, thronging toward the exit amidst the richly dressed crowd.

"Well, sir," said a voice beside Hurstwood, "please give me the money for the night's berth."

Hurstwood was talking to Carrie with interest.

"To tell you the truth, sir, I have no place to spend the night."

The begging man was a thin-faced man in his mid-thirties with a miserable look of poverty.Drouet saw it first.He handed him a dime and felt pity in his heart.Hurstwood paid no attention to the matter.Carrie soon forgot about it.

(End of this chapter)