american tragedy

Chapter 61 (2)
Chapter 225 (2)
As he said this, he thought of what Roberta would think if he heard it.But this question was so strange, he said a little uneasy: "You like to tease people, don't you?"

"Who? I, ah, no, I don't do that kind of thing. But anyway, I'm sure you have some. I like to ask people sometimes, just to see if they don't want to say what's on their minds." When I was there, I said it verbally, as if I was joking." He looked into Clyde's eyes and smiled provocatively. "But I know you have girlfriends. Pretty ones."

"Ah, I'm pretty?" He laughed, a little uneasy, a little funny, but happy. "Who said that?"

"As if you don't know it yet. Well, a lot of people say, I'm one. Besides, Sandra thinks you're pretty too, and she only likes people who are pretty. I'm different because I Not so pretty," she winked into his eyes sarcastically and teasingly.This made him feel overwhelmed.He really couldn't deal with such a girl.At the same time, I feel that I have been greatly praised, which is very interesting. "But do you also think that you are more beautiful than your cousin?" She was very sharp, and even pressed her step forward. "Some people think so."

This question, which he also hoped was factual, made him a little embarrassed and a little happy.He found this girl's interest in him very interesting.But even Clyde believed it to be so, but never dared to say it clearly.The thought of it brought before Gilbert's aggressive, obstinate, even vengeful look, a news of which he would not hesitate to give him a hard time.

"Oh, I never thought of it that way," he laughed. "Really, no, of course I haven't."

"Ah, well, then you haven't, but it's still the case. It doesn't help you unless you're rich, I mean, if you want to hang out with rich people." She looked up Came to look at him, and said this rather gently, "People love money more than looks."

What a sharp girl, he thought, and how cruelly she spoke.This sentence made him very uncomfortable, although she didn't mean it.

Just then Sandra came in with a young man Clyde didn't know, a tall, thin, ugly, but handsomely dressed young man.Behind them were Bettina and Stuart Finchley, among others.

"Here she is," said Gertrude, with some contempt.Because Sandra was much more beautiful than she and her sisters, and had expressed an interest in Clyde, she resented it. "She wants to know if you notice that she is beautiful, so don't let her down!"

This sentence is indeed true, but without this sentence, Clyde would have already focused on her, and even stared at her eagerly.Besides her position in the city, her money and her dress, her manners, Sandra happened to be the most captivating person of his type, who happened to be of Hortense Briggs' type, But it's more elegant by comparison (because she has money and status,) less wild, and as for self-centeredness, it's not the same.She is a living, greedy little Aphrodite, bent on displaying her beautiful, destructive charm to anyone who is born reasonably beautiful, while maintaining her own solitary personality.In no way is bound by any covenant or agreement.For various reasons that she couldn't explain, Clyde liked her very much. In terms of social status and economics, he might not be much, but she thought he was very interesting.

Therefore, she is anxious to know now: first, whether he has come; second, never let him get any hint that she saw him first; last, try to pretend for him.It was a set of procedures and ideas of the Hortense type, which happened to strike his heart first again.He looked at her, and there she was, wearing a thin silk ball gown, printed in every color from the lightest yellow to the deepest yellow, especially showing the beauty of her eyes and black hair, and her light figure. She will be here for a while, and there for a while.She greeted people with "Hello" a dozen times, and talked to this and that about this and that news in this city, and finally condescended to say that she noticed his presence.

"Ah, you're here, so you still decided to participate. As for whether you think it's worth it, then I'm not sure. Have I introduced you to each other?" She looked around, as if to say, otherwise , she can introduce you.Some other people didn't have a deep impression of Clyde. She seemed to be so interested in him, which aroused people's attention.

"Yeah, I think almost everyone has."

"Except for Freddy Sells, who came in with me just now. Freddy, you're here." She beckoned a tall, thin young man with a clean face and a gentleman's bun .He came now, in a well-fitting suit, looking down at Clyde like a rooster looks down at a young sparrow.

"This is Clyde Griffiths, I was just talking to you, Freddy," she said briskly. "Is he a lot like Gilbert?"

"Ah, they look alike," exclaimed the easy-going man.There seemed to be something wrong with his eyes as he leaned over to stare at the other person. "I hear you're Jill's cousin. I know him very well. We graduated together at Princeton. I didn't come here very often until I got a job at General Electric in Denali. But I still do." Come on, you work in a factory, right?"

"Yes, yes," Clyde replied.He felt small in front of this young man who was far better educated and educated than he was.He was afraid that this man would talk to him about things he didn't understand, things he'd never heard of professionally because he hadn't had much training.

"In charge of a department, right?"

"Yes, yes," said Clyde cautiously.

"Tell you, Mr. Sells is born with business and technology," and said enthusiastically, "I have always suspected that the business of collars has nothing to do with it other than making money. When Jill and I were studying in college, Always quarrelling. He was always telling me that making and selling collars was of some importance to society, to make people more refined and polite, and to make them cheaper so that they could afford them. I suppose it must be He read it in some book, I am not laughing at him."

Clyde was about to answer, although these aspects were beyond his comprehension.Although he didn't know how to answer it.Sandra's words relieved him, but in fact Sandra didn't think about it, and didn't know that he was in a difficult situation at this time.She cried: "Oh, don't argue, Freddy, what's the point of that? Besides, I want him to see my brother and Bettina. Miss Cranston, you remember, this spring she He came with me to your uncle's house."

Clyde turned his face away, Freddie was robbed by Sandra, so he could only look at her, he really admired her.

"Oh, of course I do," said Clyde, who had just been looking at them both.In his mind, besides Sandra, Bettina was particularly beautiful, but she was deep, insincere, and sly, which made him feel ashamed of being in her world, so he walked over with embarrassment.

"Ah, well, it's a pleasure to see you again," she said slowly.Those gray-blue eyes sized him up, and when she smiled at him, she looked unenthusiastic, even a little weird.She thought him handsome, and as clever as she had imagined him to be. "You must be very busy at work. But since you can start walking around, I think there will be more opportunities to meet in the future."

"Oh, I hope so," he answered, showing his straight white teeth.

Sandra's younger brother Stuart told him the same set of polite words.

"Ah, how are you? It's a pleasure to meet you. My sister said you plan to stay in Lycurgus for a long time, right? I hope you will stay. I think we will have a chance to meet again in the future."

Stuart laughed at once, showing his straight white teeth, and when Vernant Faunt came, he turned and took her pretty arm, and said, "Wait a minute, Venant, I I have something to ask you." He walked into another room with her, and he hugged her tightly while talking.Clyde even felt that his clothes fit him better than he had imagined.

How hopeful and lively this world of luxury is, he thought. At this point Jere Duble called out, "Please. It's not my fault. The chef is losing his temper for something. Besides, many of you are late." How about we dance after eating?"

"You can sit among them later, when Miss Double calls them to their seats," said Sandra. "Now, you take me in."

As she said that, she put a snow-white arm under Clyde's arm, and he seemed to be being led by this arm to the world he dreamed of.

(End of this chapter)