.
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу - страница 29

Название:

Автор:

Издательство:

Жанр:

Серия:

isbn:

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ I don’t know,” answered Carrie, puzzling, but not offering to break her promise in his favour.

      Just then a knock came at their door and the maidservant handed a letter in.

      “He says there’s an answer expected,” she explained.

      “It’s from Hurstwood,” said Drouet, noting the superscription as he tore it open.

      “You are to come down and see Joe Jefferson with me to-night,” it ran in part. “It’s my turn, as we agreed the other day. All other bets are off.”

      “Well, what do you say to this?” asked Drouet, innocently, while Carrie’s mind bubbled with favourable replies.

      “You had better decide, Charlie,” she said, reservedly.

      “I guess we had better go, if you can break that engagement upstairs,” said Drouet.

      “Oh, I can,” returned Carrie without thinking.

      Drouet selected writing paper while Carrie went to change her dress. She hardly explained to herself why this latest invitation appealed to her most

      “Shall I wear my hair as I did yesterday?” she asked, as she came out with several articles of apparel pending.

      “Sure,” he returned, pleasantly.

      She was relieved to see that he felt nothing. She did not credit her willingness to go to any fascination Hurstwood held for her. It seemed that the combination of Hurstwood, Drouet, and herself was more agreeable than anything else that had been suggested. She arrayed herself most carefully and they started off, extending excuses upstairs.

      “I say,” said Hurstwood, as they came up the theatre lobby, “we are exceedingly charming this evening.”

      Carrie fluttered under his approving glance.

      “Now, then,” he said, leading the way up the foyer into the theatre.

      If ever there was dressiness it was here. It was the personification of the old term spick and span.

      “Did you ever see Jefferson?” he questioned, as he leaned toward Carrie in the box.

      “I never did,” she returned.

      “He’s delightful, delightful,” he went on, giving the commonplace rendition of approval which such men know. He sent Drouet after a programme, and then discoursed to Carrie concerning Jefferson as he had heard of him. The former was pleased beyond expression, and was really hypnotised by the environment, the trappings of the box, the elegance of her companion. Several times their eyes accidentally met, and then there poured into hers such a flood of feeling as she had never before experienced. She could not for the moment explain it, for in the next glance or the next move of the hand there was seeming indifference, mingled only with the kindest attention.

      Drouet shared in the conversation, but he was almost dull in comparison. Hurstwood entertained them both, and now it was driven into Carrie’s mind that here was the superior man. She instinctively felt that he was stronger and higher, and yet withal so simple. By the end of the third act she was sure that Drouet was only a kindly soul, but otherwise defective. He sank every moment in her estimation by the strong comparison.

      “I have had such a nice time,” said Carrie, when it was all over and they were coming out.

      “Yes, indeed,” added Drouet, who was not in the least aware that a battle had been fought and his defences weakened. He was like the Emperor of China, who sat glorying in himself, unaware that his fairest provinces were being wrested from him.

      “Well, you have saved me a dreary evening,” returned Hurstwood. “Good-night.”

      He took Carrie’s little hand, and a current of feeling swept from one to the other.

      “I’m so tired,” said Carrie, leaning back in the car when Drouet began to talk.

      “Well, you rest a little while I smoke,” he said, rising, and then he foolishly went to the forward platform of the car and left the game as it stood.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4RUvRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgADAEAAAMAAAABB9AAAAEBAAMAAAABDIAAAAECAAMAAAADAAAA ngEGAAMAAAABAAIAAAESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEVAAMAAAABAAMAAAEaAAUAAAABAAAApAEbAAUAAAAB AAAArAEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAkAAAAtAEyAAIAAAAUAAAA2IdpAAQAAAABAAAA7AAAASQA CAAIAAgACvyAAAAnEAAK/IAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENDIDIwMTggKE1hY2ludG9zaCkA MjAxODowNjoyOSAxODowNzoyNwAABJAAAAcAAAAEMDIyMaABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAD hKADAAQAAAABAAAFoAAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAFyARsABQAAAAEAAAF6 ASgAAwAAAAEAAgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAGCAgIABAAAAAEAABOlAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/ 2P/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBELCgsRFQ8MDA8V GBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsNDg0QDg4QFA4O DhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM/8AAEQgA oABkAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYHCAkKCwEAAQUB AQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQhEjEFQVFhEyJx gTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXiZfKzhMPTdePz RieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIEBAMEBQYHBwYF NQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKygwcmNcLSRJNU oxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dXZ3eHl6e3x//a AAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ax3WbeNUw3nWIQ25WHOuXQCP5bvL/AIP+V/58/cR2Ppd9DLxXf9dj8rFHS5G/ 2gudO1uro5gfS28e5b9f1ZD7rK6sp2ym9mM+x1TR7rDgbDsbe783qf8A7L/8Ksd+M6xhaLsYhwj+ d8dP3Vdrf102HIZm0eo5/ql4dX9MfZ3bv5n/AM12H/7D/wDGp0Y2olI3odL6HZDsp9bGG0vaamOe K6W5Tnu/RZL6H3OtwLW7G3+j6dldn2j/AAaNX9UrH5TcX7WXWF9jHhlIOjX5FVTq99zN25uHZbdv 9P0v8F66DVT9Ya2iqrIxmVte54qaKRWC5tlNjPR+z+n6L2ZF/wCr7fQ9S6y70/WRPs31pfH61W7a 5z5LmElz3uve5zvR9/6Z9j69/wDM+pZ6OxO4EW0ndMpZl4WO7IcRl45ynWtYwtDBS7Mihnr+rZ/N Pr/WmYf76vu+rPpBhdkktc+9stqaNwoGW/8AROtyK2erswf0rch9FNX2mv8AWLPTtWX1N/Vun3U5 uTdjjIoaWVWBtZcWlpo2XfoP1lnou9L9Z9XZWspn1o6zbcS7IY8PLt3qMqc1wecre2xllLmPrd+0 s39G5mzZk/yKvTBiOqbejxuhU5Ro9PLJdeaBtbWHbBk0V5lPrfph6fq77a8d/wDRrX4tv6eu30q1 XzemMxum43UWWudXlWOrax7GiNrr2fzlN17HPZ9l/Tf4P9NX6F16hh3/AFhNdYx8uprWbNjf0egr bXVXX/M/zOzHx/0H80/0Kn2J7OmddyKG41j6PQYWuZUzZW1u03uZsbTVXsYz7Zk7K/5v9L/IrQIC hbSBa5MWxqr+P0HqRcK/0IPnZH/fFdP1U6uR/gP+3f8AzBMNLtXHn2pLV/5q9YmIp/7d/wDMEkNF UX//0OFPQyRuLnAlMzoTjxYVsV2uc33BSrPnChMpd14AckdDsGhsI+arZWFmY9kVWk+cx5rop9pP KoZOr0MeSRlSZRADkh3VK2ktuMDsHH4f9SrfTPrR1TCeSbH2cgBziRJ76pskkVEDRZLnEPBH3Kfi LHTdz+sZvUciclxInjjRRf6LWg1kh4Vf0L9LbGEtK0em9GuzXy2WN81HKQ3JXiJOwZ4mdmbNLSPJ dH9Xes222mi5250aFcpm024FzqyJA0Vv6uWPf1Ksjx1+4pCyb6K2fSsV8WAOd7j9HxWzQHhkEyQs XHrY+1s6cCRyugbDWBjBoOdEJDVcEUCUkTZ3/BJNopf/0bHW+hdPxOn230sh7BI1PiFytbHOZuC7 j6yGOk3DuR/ELiMa4sbHYqPPUapfHUs2g7Dos/NMOBbp5LVa5u0lZnUAS9pA0hQYD6ivyDRp2jfW Z8EDonSX9SvfW1+0sBI+SsWSazCvfUMH9qvHYtcCrVaFiG7CzpWaxzRANY7q5b03MA/VnAQBLQe8 SVodRvONddj2MLgSdsaaH6PKoYubVS2whrhPiZVbXsNG0Ix76Fx+pUWCG3 СКАЧАТЬ