He walked on with her, elated beyond words, so delightful had been the result.  He impressed a long story of joy and affection upon her, though there was but here and there a word.  After a half-hour he began to realize that the meeting must come to an end, so exacting is the world.

“To-morrow,” he said at parting, a gayety of manner adding wonderfully to his brave demeanor.

“Yes,” said Carrie, tripping elatedly away.

There had been so much enthusiasm engendered that she was believing herself deeply in love.  She sighed as she thought of her handsome adorer.  Yes, she would get ready by Saturday.  She would go, and they would be happy.

Chapter XXII THE BLAZE OF THE TINDER—­FLESH WARS WITH THE FLESH

The misfortune of the Hurstwood household was due to the fact that jealousy, having been born of love, did not perish with it.  Mrs. Hurstwood retained this in such form that subsequent influences could transform it into hate.  Hurstwood was still worthy, in a physical sense, of the affection his wife had once bestowed upon him, but in a social sense he fell short.  With his regard died his power to be attentive to her, and this, to a woman, is much greater than outright crime toward another.  Our self-love dictates our appreciation of the good or evil in another.  In Mrs. Hurstwood it discolored the very hue of her husband’s indifferent nature.  She saw design in deeds and phrases which sprung only from a faded appreciation of her presence.

As a consequence, she was resentful and suspicious.  The jealousy that prompted her to observe every falling away from the little amenities of the married relation on his part served to give her notice of the airy grace with which he still took the world.  She could see from the scrupulous care which he exercised in the matter of his personal appearance that his interest in life had abated not a jot.  Every motion, every glance had something in it of the pleasure he felt in Carrie, of the zest this new pursuit of pleasure lent to his days.  Mrs. Hurstwood felt something, sniffing change, as animals do danger, afar off.

This feeling was strengthened by actions of a direct and more potent nature on the part of Hurstwood.  We have seen with what irritation he shirked those little duties which no longer contained any amusement of satisfaction for him, and the open snarls with which, more recently, he resented her irritating goads.  These little rows were really precipitated by an atmosphere which was surcharged with dissension.  That it would shower, with a sky so full of blackening thunderclouds, would scarcely be thought worthy of comment.  Thus, after leaving the breakfast table this morning, raging inwardly at his blank declaration of indifference at her plans, Mrs. Hurstwood encountered Jessica in her dressing-room, very leisurely arranging her hair.  Hurstwood had already left the house.