american tragedy

Chapter 67

Chapter 230
But when Roberta returned to Lycurgos on Christmas night, to her own room on the Plain of Gill, Clyde was still missing, and she received no explanation.Because, at this time, there was a new situation, which was related to the Griffith family.Regarding this matter, if Clyde had let her know earlier, she would definitely have paid attention to it.It turned out that Gilbert also saw the news that Roberta saw after the dance at Steele's house.One morning after the party, he was sitting at the breakfast table drinking coffee when he saw the news.He gritted his teeth at once, almost making a noise, as some people make when they lift the cover of a watch.He stopped drinking coffee, put the cup on the table, and took a closer look.At this time, there was no one else in the room except him and his mother.Knowing that, more than anyone else, his mother thought of Clyde as he did, he handed her the newspaper.

"Look who's popping up in society, will you?" said sharply, sarcasticly, with a stern, contemptuous look in his eyes, "we'll have to ask him here next time. what!"

"Who?" asked Mrs. Griffiths, picking up the paper, and perusing the passage in a calm, critical manner, though with rather reserved surprise on her face at the sight of the name.Because, the fact that Sandra asked Clyde to give a ride some time ago, and that she was invited to attend the party at Duble’s house later, although it was also reported to their family, but it appeared in the social news on the "Star", that is another It's the same thing. "I wonder how he got invited to this party?" Mrs. Griffiths wondered.She had never been too clear about his son's attitude towards these matters.

"Ah, who else but Finchley, the self-righteous little fellow?" said Gilbert viciously, "I don't know why she thinks so, but as far as I know, she got it from Bella." She thought that we didn't want to talk to him at all. She thought it was a smart way to hit me, in order to get back at what I did to her, or she thought I was sorry to her. Anyway, she thought I didn't like it She. That's true, and Bella knows it. Same with that pushy little guy, Cranston, they're always running after him. They're a bunch of show-offs, a bunch of scum Well, that's all of them, and their brothers too, Grant Cranston and Stuart Finchley, and they're going to make trouble one day, and I'm not mistaken. You take my word for it They don't do anything, they play and dance all year round, going here and there, as if there's nothing to do in the world but play. Besides, why did you and papa put I don't understand Bella running after them like that."

His mother was very disapproving of him.It was impossible for her to keep Bella completely out of touch with this part of the local society, and to limit her association to a few families.They got to know each other well.And for many years, she has handled it well, and she has her own ideas.

Now that the news was out, Gilbert's hostility to Clyde's social advancement was by no means lessened, no matter what her mother explained.Why! The first unforgivable crime of this insignificant pauper cousin is that he looks like him;He had clearly told him, and had said so from the beginning, that he did not like him, did not need him, and would not have tolerated him for a moment if he had made his own way.

"He ain't got no money," he said later to his mother bitterly, "he's just here for a few meals. For what? What will he do if these people take him around? Of course he Can't spend as much as they do, and he can't get the money. Even if he could, his job here wouldn't help him much unless someone would pay him. How can he do his job , running with this group of people, I really don't understand. These people can't stay around all day long."

In fact, what he is worried about now is whether Clyde will become a member of the social field in the future.If so, what should be done? If he had entered society in this way, how could he not be entertained by himself and his family? His father was obviously unwilling to send him away, as the earlier and later events proved. at this point.

After this conversation Mrs. Griffiths, at the same breakfast table, handed the newspaper to her husband, and at the same time told him what Gilbert had meant.However, as he always did with Clyde, he disagreed with his son, and, it seemed to Mrs. Griffiths, he seemed to think, on the contrary, that what had been published in the news was sufficient evidence of his initial disapproval of Clyde. The estimate is partly justified.

"I have to say," he said, after he had listened carefully to his wife, "that even though he has no money, there is nothing wrong with it, if he goes to parties sometimes, and invites him here and there. Really. It's good for him and for us. I also understand Jill's attitude towards him. But according to my opinion, Clyde seems to be higher than Jill's estimate. I don't want to interfere, and I won't interfere. Since I want him to come here, at least I should give him a chance to make progress. He seems to be doing a good job! Besides, if I don't do this , what will people think?"

Then, because of something else Gilbert had said to his mother, he went on: "Naturally I would like him to associate with the higher class, not the lower class. That's for sure. He is neat and well-behaved. As far as I heard in the factory, he does a good job. In fact, I think it is still possible to invite him to the lake for a few days in the summer as I said. .For now, if we don't make a show soon, it will become that people think he's good enough, but we don't think he is good enough. If you listen to me, ask him for Christmas or New Year's Once you ask, it can also be regarded as a sign that we treat him not as good as our friend."

When Gilbert's mother conveyed this opinion to him, he exclaimed, "Well, that's bad luck! Well, but don't think I'll be polite to him either. If Papa thinks he can do it, why can't he?" Isn't it odd to get him a good job elsewhere?"

In any case, they will take some action because Bella came back from Albany that day, contacted Sandra and Bettina, talked on the phone, and heard something about Clyde information.She had also heard that Clyde had been invited to accompany them to the New Year's Eve ball at the Ellery's in Schnackdart.As for Bella, they had decided that she was to be invited that night before even thinking of inviting Clyde.

This unexpected new development, Bella told her mother, finally forced the Griffiths to try to remedy the situation as a last resort, and invite Clyde to dinner themselves.It was Christmas, and it was scheduled for a quiet dinner with a very large number of guests. They thought it would be a way to show everyone that they were not ignoring Clay as some people thought. Germany.It was the only reasonable thing to do when things had come to this point.As for Gilbert.Hearing about it afterward, and seeing that he had lost the battle, he grumbled, "Well, if you like him, if you and papa think it's the way to do it, then do it. I see no real need until now. But you can do what you like. Constance and I must go to Utiga this afternoon anyway, and I couldn't come even if I wanted to."

It was inconceivable, he thought, that a girl like Sandra, with her determination to get to the end and some cunning, could force him to ignore his cousin and couldn't stop him.Besides, Clyde knew that he was not welcome, but he was so obscene! What kind of young man was he?

As a result, Clyde received another letter from the Griffiths' family on Monday morning.This time it was Myra who invited him to have dinner at two o'clock on Christmas Day. This time did not conflict with the appointment with Roberta at eight o'clock in the evening, so he was indescribably happy.Now in terms of social status, he can finally compare with anyone.Although he had no money, you see how he was entertained, not only by others, but also by the Griffiths! Moreover, Sandra, who was very affectionate for him, was very friendly in conversation and manner. On the one hand, it seems that he wants to fall in love with him. What's more, Gilbert also suffered a defeat because of his limelight in the social world.Don't you think that's brilliant? At this moment, he thought that this incident showed that his relatives had not forgotten him at least, or that his recent success in other fields forced them to be more polite to him.To think of this is to wear a wreath of victory around one's head in a contest.I was so happy in my heart, as if I had never encountered any setbacks before.

(End of this chapter)