As rent day approached, an idea grew in him.  It was fostered by the demands of creditors and the impossibility of holding up many more.  Twenty-eight dollars was too much for rent.  “It’s hard on her,” he thought.  “We could get a cheaper place.”

Stirred with this idea, he spoke at the breakfast table.

“Don’t you think we pay too much rent here?” he asked.

“Indeed I do,” said Carrie, not catching his drift.

“I should think we could get a smaller place,” he suggested.  “We don’t need four rooms.”

Her countenance, had he been scrutinizing her, would have exhibited the disturbance she felt at this evidence of his determination to stay by her.  He saw nothing remarkable in asking her to come down lower.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she answered, growing wary.

“There must be places around here where we could get a couple of rooms, which would do just as well.”

Her heart revolted.  “Never!” she thought.  Who would furnish the money to move?  To think of being in two rooms with him!  She resolved to spend her money for clothes quickly, before something terrible happened.  That very day she did it.  Having done so, there was but one other thing to do.

“Lola,” she said, visiting her friend, “I think I’ll come.”

“Oh, jolly!” cried the latter.

“Can we get it right away?” she asked, meaning the room.

“Certainly,” cried Lola.

They went to look at it.  Carrie had saved ten dollars from her expenditures—­enough for this and her board beside.  Her enlarged salary would not begin for ten days yet—­would not reach her for seventeen.  She paid half of the six dollars with her friend.

“Now, I’ve just enough to get on to the end of the week,” she confided.

“Oh, I’ve got some,” said Lola.  “I’ve got twenty-five dollars, if you need it.”

“No,” said Carrie.  “I guess I’ll get along.”

They decided to move Friday, which was two days away.  Now that the thing was settled, Carrie’s heart misgave her.  She felt very much like a criminal in the matter.  Each day looking at Hurstwood, she had realized that, along with the disagreeableness of his attitude, there was something pathetic.

She looked at him the same evening she had made up her mind to go, and now he seemed not so shiftless and worthless, but run down and beaten upon by chance.  His eyes were not keen, his face marked, his hands flabby.  She thought his hair had a touch of gray.  All unconscious of his doom, he rocked and read his paper, while she glanced at him.

Knowing that the end was so near, she became rather solicitous.

“Will you go over and get some canned peaches?” she asked Hurstwood, laying down a two-dollar bill.

“Certainly,” he said, looking in wonder at the money.

“See if you can get some nice asparagus,” she added.  “I’ll cook it for dinner.”