Chapter 30 Chapter 30 The Kingdom of the Great: The Dream of the Exile

No matter what a man like Hurstwood might be in Chicago, he's clearly a drop in the ocean in New York. There aren't many millionaires in Chicago, with a population of about half a million. The rich aren't rich yet. to the point where people of moderate income are obscured. Residents are not yet so obsessed with the local theatrical, artistic, social, and religious luminaries that they ignore ordinary well-to-do people. In Chicago, there are two paths to fame, politics and business. But in New York, there are dozens of paths to fame for you to choose, and each path has hundreds of people diligently pursuing it, so There are a lot of famous people. The sea is so crowded with whales that an ordinary fish has to disappear completely and never show itself. In other words, Hurstwood is insignificant.

There is also a more subtle consequence of such a situation, which, though often unnoticed, can produce tragedy in the world. The atmosphere created by the big can have a bad effect on the small. The atmosphere is easy and quick You can feel it. When you are in a luxurious residence, exquisite carriages and resplendent shops, restaurants and various entertainment venues; when you smell the fragrance of flowers, silk and wine; when you appreciate the luxury of life When you feel the contented laughter and the defiant glance that shines like a spear; when you feel the smile that pierces like a sword, and the strut that flaunts the eminence, you will know what it means to be entitled. You don't have to argue that this is not the state of a great man. For as long as the world pays attention to it, and the human heart regards it as an ideal state that must be achieved, then for such a person, this is not the state. It will always be the state of a great man. Moreover, the atmosphere created by this state will also have irreparable consequences for the human heart. It is like a chemical reagent. Living here for a day is like a drop Chemical reagents, will affect and change the point of view. The color of purpose and desire, so that it will be dyed this color. Such a day is to the inexperienced mind what opium is to the body without smoking. A desire from which And life, if it is to be fulfilled, will be endless, leading to dreams and death. Alas, unrealized dreams, gnawing at the heart, bewitching the heart, those wishful dreams beckoning and guiding, beckoning and guiding, Until death and destruction dissipate their power and send us back to the embrace of nature in a daze.

A man of Hurstwood's age and temperament is not easily affected by the fancies and burning desires of youth, but also lacks the force of hope that springs up like springs in the heart of young people. This atmosphere It would not excite in him the longings of an eighteen-year-old. But when it aroused, the less hopeful it would be, the more painful it would be. He could not help noticing the signs of opulence and luxury coming from every side. He had been to New York before, and he knew the luxury and luxury. In a way, New York was an awe-inspiring place to him because it was the concentration of the thing he respected most in the world...wealth .Status and fame. Most of the celebrities he drank with during his managerial days came from this self-centered, populous place. The most seductive of pleasure and luxury Tales of debauchery, some of the places and people here. He knew that he had indeed been walking by rich people all day without knowing it. In a place so rich, a hundred thousand or half a million dollars was not enough The right of man to live a luxurious life. Fashion and pomp require more money, so the poor cannot survive. Now, when he faces the city, he realizes all this very deeply. At this time, he, friends and friends Severed, his little fortune, even his name, was taken away, and he had to start all over again in his struggle for status and happiness. He was not old, but he was not too dull to realize that he would soon be Old man. So, the gorgeous clothes, status and power in front of him suddenly had a special meaning. Compared with his own difficult situation, its meaning was more important.

His situation was indeed difficult. He soon discovered that eliminating the fear of arrest was not a necessary condition of his existence. The danger was gone, but the next need became a headache. The prospect of paying rent, food, and entertainment for many years to come does not appease a man who is used to spending five times that amount in a year. He During the first few days of his arrival in New York, the subject was considered quite actively, and he decided that he must act quickly. He therefore looked for business opportunities in newspaper advertisements, and began to investigate for himself.

But this was after he had settled down. Carrie and he had searched for an apartment according to plan, and found one in Seventy-eighth Street, near Amsterdam Avenue. It was a five-story building, and their The room is on the third floor. Because the street is not yet full of houses, the green treetops of Central Park can be seen to the east, and the wide water surface of the Hudson River can be seen to the west. They had to pay thirty-five dollars a month for a row of six rooms and one bathroom... This was the rent of ordinary residents at the time, but it was still frighteningly high. Carrie noticed that the rooms here were much more expensive than Chicago's small and pointed this out.

"You can't get any better than that, my dear," said Hurstwood, "unless you look for old-fashioned houses, but then you don't have these conveniences." Carrie chose this new house because of its new construction and bright wooden parts. It is one of the latest buildings, and it is equipped with heating, which is a great advantage. A fixed stove, hot and cold water supply, lift and convey Cargo planes, microphones, and porter bells. She liked them very much. She had a housewife's nature and was very satisfied with these facilities. Hurstwood made an arrangement with a penny-paying furniture store that they would furnish the whole set, with a down payment of fifty dollars and ten dollars a month thereafter. He then had a little brass plate made to order, engraved with "Joe W. Wheeler" on his letter box in the passage. At first Carrie thought it sounded strange when the porter called her Mrs. Wheeler, but after a while she got used to it and took it as own name.

When these household matters were settled, Hurstwood visited some of the places advertised as offering business opportunities, and tried to buy a share in one of the thriving hotels in the city. The one in Adams Street He couldn't stand the vulgar taverns advertised. He spent several days visiting them and found them unsatisfactory, but he learned a lot in the conversation, because He discovered the power of Tammany Hall and the importance of good relations with the police. He found that the most profitable. The most prosperous were the establishments that did all kinds of illegal business, not the ones run by Fitzgerald and Moy. A legal establishment. The very lucrative ones had elegant back rooms and secret drinking rooms upstairs. The potbellied proprietors had big diamonds on their shirt fronts and their clothes were well cut. He looked at them. It turns out that the wine business here is the same as anywhere else, and the profit is very high.

At last he found a man who had a hotel in Warren Street, which seemed to be a good deal. The hotel looked good, and could be improved. The proprietor said it was doing very well, and of course it seemed to be. "We have very educated people here," he told Hurstwood. "Businessmen. Salesmen, and freelancers, of the well-dressed class. There are no vagabonds. We don't allow them to come here." Stewart listened to the ringing of the cash register and watched the business for a while. "There's money to be made between two people, isn't it?" he asked. "If you're good at the liquor business, you can see it yourself," said the owner. "It's only one of two hotels I keep. The other is over there on Nassau Street. I can't take care of it by myself." Two. If I can find a person who understands this business well, I am willing to cooperate with him and let him be the manager."

"I have enough experience," said Hurstwood flatly, but he did not dare to mention the Fermore Hotel. "Well, you can figure it out, Mr. Wheeler," said the innkeeper. He is only willing to sell 1/3 of the equity, equipment and reputation, on the condition that the person who is willing to join the shares must pay 1,000 yuan, and also has the ability to operate. This does not involve real estate issues, because this is the owner of the hotel from a real estate agent. rented. The deal was genuine. But Hurstwood was left with the question of whether a 1/3 stake in such a place would make a profit of $150 a month. He reckoned he would have to have that amount to sustain his day-to-day life. Expenditures don't appear to be tight. However, he has failed many times trying to find a place he likes, and now is not the time to hesitate. It seems that a 1/3 stake is currently making a profit of 100 yuan a month. As long as it is run properly and He might make some more by improving it. He therefore agreed to a joint stock, handed over his thousand dollars, and was ready to take office the next day.

He felt very proud at first, and confided to Carrie that he thought he had made the best arrangements. Annoyances, however, arose in time. He found the partner difficult. He was often drunk , and a bad temper after drinking. This is the most annoying thing in business Hurstwood. Besides, business has changed. The customers here are not at all the type of people he liked to associate with in Chicago. He found that It takes a long time to make friends here. These people come and go in a hurry, and don't seek the pleasure of friendship. It's not a meeting place or a resting place at all. Days. Weeks go by, and he Not a single friendly greeting that he was used to hearing every day in Chicago.

Besides, Hurstwood missed the famous people...the well-dressed socialites who would make a common pub look respectable, and bring news from afar and news from the circle. He hadn't seen a single one in a month. Such people. In the evenings, when he was still at get off work, he occasionally read in the evening papers about famous people he knew... He had drunk with these people many times. They would Go to a bar like the Fermer in Chicago, or Hoffman's uptown, but he knows he'll never see them here. Also, the business wasn't as profitable as he had thought it was, it was making a little more money. But he found it embarrassing that he had to watch over the household expenses. At first, though he always came home very late, it was a joy to be home and see Carrie. He managed to get back to dinner with her between six and seven o'clock, and then stayed at home until Nine o'clock the next morning. But after a while the novelty wore off. He began to feel that his duties were becoming a burden. When the first month was over, Carrie said quite naturally: "I think this Go to the city on Sunday to buy a dress." "What kind of clothes to buy?" asked Hurstwood. "Oh, for street wear." "That's right," he answered, laughing, though he felt that, in his state of affairs, she had better not buy it. The next day he did not speak of it again, but on the third morning he asked: "Have you bought your clothes yet?" "Not yet," said Carrie. He paused for a moment, as if thinking about something, and then said: "Can I postpone the purchase for a few days?" "No," answered Carrie, who did not understand what he meant. It had never occurred to her before that he should be in trouble with money. "Why?" "Oh, I'll tell you," said Hurstwood. "I've just spent a lot of money on this investment. I think I can make it back pretty quickly, but money is tight." "Oh!" returned Carrie, "of course, my dear. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" "It wasn't necessary then," said Hurstwood. In spite of Carrie's assent, Hurstwood spoke in a manner which reminded her somewhat of Drouet and the little business he always said he was about to close. The thought was but fleeting, but it began. turned her head. It meant that she had a new view of Hurstwood. Afterwards other things, little things of the same nature, happened in succession, and the cumulative effect of these things was to be sufficiently revealing. Carrie was not in the least dull. Gradually get to know each other. When a person has difficulties in his heart, whether he confides them actively or not, he must show them. Troubles affect his demeanor and make people melancholy. It is impossible to hide. Hurstwood is still dressed as beautifully as usual, but The same clothes as in Canada. Carrie noticed that he did not acquire a great deal of clothes, though his own was not much. She also noticed that he spoke little of entertainment, never of food, and seemed to be His business was in trouble. This was no longer the free-spirited Hurstwood of Chicago, the bold, rich Hurstwood she had known. The change was too obvious to escape her notice. After some time, she began to feel that another change had taken place, and that he no longer confided in her. He was obviously hiding his thoughts. She found that she had to ask him about little things. This state of affairs is unpleasant to a woman. With great love it can still seem reasonable, and sometimes it seems feasible, but it is by no means satisfactory. Without great love, it would lead to a more Clear. More unsatisfactory conclusions. As for Hurstwood, he was struggling hard against the difficulties of his new situation. He was too shrewd to fail to realize that he had made a great mistake, and that he had done well enough to get so far. , but he still couldn't help comparing his current situation with the past, every moment, day after day. In addition, he had an unpleasant dread of running into friends from his past. He had had this feeling since he had had one such encounter not long after his arrival in the city. It was on Broadway, He saw an acquaintance approaching him. It was too late to pretend not to see him. Their eyes met and they evidently recognized each other. So the friend, a buyer at a wholesale store in Chicago, had to stop. "How are you?" he said, holding out his hand, with a visibly complicated expression, without even an ounce of feigned concern. "Very well," said Hurstwood, equally embarrassed. "How are you doing?" "Fine, I'm here to do some shopping. Do you live here now?" "Yes," said Hurstwood, "I have a store in Warren Street." "Really?" said the friend. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll come and see you." "You are welcome," said Hurstwood. "Good-bye," said the other, with a friendly smile, and went on. "He doesn't even ask for my number," thought Hurstwood. "He doesn't want to come." He wiped his brow, which was sweating. He really didn't want to meet any other acquaintances. These things did not affect the good temper he seemed to have. He just hoped things would get better financially. He had Carrie. The furniture was being paid off. He was beginning to find his footing. As for Carrie, he There's not much entertainment to give her, but that's all for now. He may be able to maintain his false appearance for a long time without revealing it, until he succeeds, and then everything will be fine. Here, he did not consider To the weaknesses of human nature...the difficulties of married life. Carrie is still young. Both parties often have fickle mentality. It is possible to sit at the same dinner table with absolutely different moods at any time. In the most This kind of thing often happens in harmonious families. The small frictions that arise in such situations require great love to eliminate later. If there is no great love, both parties are haggling, and big problems will arise after a while .