sister carrie

Chapter 58 (2)

Chapter 33 Outside the Forbidden City: A year is not as good as a year (2)
Hurstwood was apprehensive at the slight reduction in profits which coincided with the removal of the Vances.Thus, Carrie's loneliness and her husband's anxiety occurred at the same time.This is a sad thing.She became restless and dissatisfied, not solely on account of her husband, as she thought, but dissatisfaction with life.What's life like? Just a very dull routine.What did she have? Just this cramped, tiny apartment and nothing else.The Wanqi couple can travel abroad, they can do meaningful things, but she is just stuck here.In the final analysis, what is she living for? More thoughts followed, and then she burst into tears—tears seemed to be the only thing that should flow in this world, the only comfort in this world.

This situation continued for some time, and the two lived a rather monotonous life.Then, there was a deteriorating change.Hurstwood, thinking of how he might change Carrie's idea of ​​buying clothes, and of her financial difficulties in this respect, said one evening:
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for Sannessy and I to get together."

"What's the matter?" said Carrie.

"Oh, he's a dull, greedy Irishman. He doesn't approve of any improvement to the hotel, and you can't make money without improvements."

"Can't you persuade him?" said Carrie.

"Yes, I have persuaded. I see that the only way to increase my financial income is to open a shop myself."

"Then why not?" said Carrie.

"Well, my money's all tied up there for now. If I get a chance to save for a while, I think I can open a shop and make a lot of money."

"Can we save it?" said Carrie.

"Let's try it out," he said. "I've been thinking that if we could rent a smaller house in the city center and live frugally for a year, I'd be able to bring in quite a bit of money, plus the money I've already invested. With enough capital, we can open a decent store. Then we can live how we like.”

"I can do it," said Carrie.Still, she felt uneasy, wondering how things could have come to this.Renting a smaller house sounds like poverty.

"Below No. 14 Street and along Sixth Street, there are many small and exquisite houses. Let's go there and have a look."

"I'll see if you mean it," said Carrie.

"I think I can break up with this fellow within a year," said Hurstwood, "and it ain't going to get any good in the way it's going.

"I'll go and see," said Carrie.She noticed that he was serious about changing houses.

After this talk, the house was finally replaced.For Carrie, this inevitably brought melancholy.It really affected her more than anything in the past.She began to see Hurstwood as a man, not as a lover or a husband.She felt deeply that she was tied to him as a wife, and her fate was tied to him under all circumstances.She was beginning to see, however, that he was sullen and silent instead of a young, strong, brisk man.His eyes and mouth looked old to her.There were other aspects that put him where he should have been, by her measure.She began to feel that she had made a great mistake.Sometimes, she recalled the fact that he actually forced her to run away with him.

The newly rented apartment is on No. 13 Street, half a block west of Sixth Street, and there are only four rooms in total.The neighbors on the left and right did not like Carrie very much.There were no trees and no view of the river to the west.The houses on this street are dense.There were a dozen families in all where they lived, some of considerable standing, but none like Vance.Rich people need more space in their dwellings.

Carrie was alone in such a small place, and she had no maids to help her.She had made the room rather lovely, but it never made her feel better.Hurstwood, too, was displeased that they had to change to such a state of affairs, but, in his defense, he said that there was nothing he could do.He must bear with it as much as he can, and go with the flow.

He tried to show Carrie that there was nothing to be afraid of financial panic.On the contrary, he increased the number of times he went out to the theater with her, and ate more meals on weekdays, trying to show that by the end of the year, his situation would be promising.This is just a passing thought.Take the change of his mood as an example. What he asked was mainly to let him pass the time alone and let him think alone.This brooding disorder was beginning to prey on him.Only the newspapers and his own thoughts were of any importance.The joy of love has slipped away once more.Now the whole question is to live, to try to live as well as possible in an extremely ordinary life, that's all.

On the way downhill, there are very few flat places.The rift between him and his partner grew wider due to the change in his mentality caused by his situation.In the end, the partners wanted Hurstwood out.At this moment, a real estate transaction by the landed owner has a more serious effect than private bad feelings.

"Did you see this?" Sannessee said to Hurstwood one morning, pointing to the real estate section of the Herald in his hand.

"No, how?" said Hurstwood, reading the news.

"The owner of this piece of land has already sold the land to others."

"Really?" said Hurstwood.

He read the news, and there was a notice in the newspaper.Mr. August Weir registered yesterday to transfer the 25 by 75 feet lot at the corner of Warren Street and Hudson Street to Mr. Jeff Slawson for $7000.

"When is our lease due?" Hurstwood asked, thinking. "Next February, is it?"

"Yes," Sannessee said.

"It doesn't say what the new master intends to do," said Hurstwood, reading the paper again.

"I think we'll have news soon," Sannessy said.

Later facts showed that it was indeed very fast.Mr. Slawson, the owner of a neighboring property, decided to build a modern office building, which now had to be demolished.The new building can be completed in about a year and a half.

All this happened gradually, and Hurstwood began to think about the future of the hotel.One day he said to his partner:

"Do you think it's worth opening a store nearby?"

"What's the use?" Sannessy said. "There's no other corner around."

"You can't make money elsewhere, don't you think so?"

"I won't do it," said another.

The imminent change of ownership of the estate was now a very serious matter in Hurstwood.The dissolution of the partnership means that he lost 1000 yuan in vain, and it is impossible for him to save 1000 yuan in time.He knew that Sannessy was tired of the old arrangement, and that once the new building around the corner was completed, he might be able to rent it alone.He began to fear that he would have to find another job, that unless he found a way, serious financial difficulties would be imminent.This would take away his enjoyment of the old apartment and the joys of being with Carrie.So there was a gloomy atmosphere in the house.

At the same time, he tried his best to use the time to look around, but there were not many opportunities.Moreover, the charming demeanor he had had when he first came back to New York was no longer to be found.All kinds of inauspicious thoughts cast shadows in his eyes, which could make others feel bad.He didn't have 300 yuan on hand as a basis for negotiation.After about a month, Sannessy found that there was no progress in his affairs, and he assured him that Slawson would not extend the lease.

"I don't think this is the end of the matter," he said, pretending to be concerned.

"Well, if that's the case, then that's the way it should be," said Hurstwood resentfully.He didn't want the other party to know his opinion, no matter what his opinion was like or that, he couldn't be so satisfied.

After a day or two he felt compelled not to speak to Carrie.

"You know," he said, "I don't think my business can get any worse over there."

"What's up?" said Carrie, startled.

"Well, the owner of that piece of land sold the ownership to someone else. If the new owner refuses to re-lease it to us, the business may be over."

"Can you do it again somewhere else?"

"It can't be found anywhere else, and Sannessy won't do it."

"Will the money you put in be lost?"

"Yes," said Hurstwood, looking really sad.

"Oh, isn't that too bad?" said Carrie.

"It's a ruse," said Hurstwood, "that's all. They'll start another one in the same place."

Carrie looked at him, and already guessed from his whole manner what this meant.This is serious, very serious.

"Do you think you can find any other way?" she said timidly.

Hurstwood thought for a moment.The deceitful drama of saying that there is money and investment is all over.She understood now that he was "broke."

"I don't know," he said solemnly, "I could try it."

(End of this chapter)