Читать книгу Sister Carrie / Сестра Кэрри. Книга для чтения на английском языке онлайн | страница 55
“He seems to be,” said Carrie.
Chapter XI
The Persuasion of Fashion: Feeling Guards o’er its Own
Carrie was an apt student of fortune’s ways – of for time’s superficialities. Seeing a thing, she would immediately set to inquiring how she would look, properly related to it.
“My dear,” said the lace collar she secured from Partridge’s, “I fit you beautifully; don’t give me up.”
“Ah, such little feet,” said the leather of the soft new shoes; “how effectively I cover them. What a pity they should ever want my aid.”
Once these things were in her hand, on her person, she might dream of giving them up; the method by which they came might intrude itself so forcibly that she would ache to be rid of the thought of it, but she would not give them up. “Put on the old clothes – that torn pair of shoes,” was called to her by her conscience in vain. She could possibly have conquered the fear of hunger and gone back; the thought of hard work and a narrow round of suffering would, under the last pressure of conscience have yielded, but spoil her appearance? – be old-clothed and poor-appearing? – never!
Drouet heightened her opinion on this and allied subjects in such a manner as to weaken her power of resisting their influence.
“Did you see that women who went by just now?” he said to Carrie on the first day they took a walk together. “Fine stepper, wasn’t she?”[51]
Carrie looked, and observed the grace commended.
“Yes, she is” she returned, cheerfully, a little suggestion of possible defect in herself awakening in her mind. If that was so fine, she must look at it more closely. Instinctively, she felt a desire to imitate it. Surely she could do that too.
Carrie took the instructions affably. She saw what Drouet liked; in vague way she saw where he was weak. It lessens a woman’s opinion of a man when she learns that his admiration is so pointedly and generously distributed. She sees but one object of supreme compliment in this world, and that is herself. If a man is to succeed with many women, he must be all in all to each[52].