He smiled and went lightly away.  Carrie was thoroughly impressed.  She had never come in contact with such grace.  As for Drouet, he was equally pleased.

" There’s a nice man,” he remarked to Carrie, as the returned to their cozy chamber. " A good friend of mine, too.”

" 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 rated to it.  Be it known that this is not fine feeling, it is Not wisdom.  The greatest minds are not so afflicted; and On the contrary, the lowest order of mind is not so disturbed.  Fine clothes to her were a vast persuasion; they spoke tenderly and Jesuitical for themselves.  When she came within earshot of their pleading, desire in her bent a willing ear.  The voice of the so-called inanimate!  Who shall translate for us the language of the stones?

" 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 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 though of hard work and a narrow round of suffering would, under the last pressure of conscience have yielded, but spoil her appearance? -be old-clothes 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.  It is so easy to do this when the thing opined is in the line of what we desire.  In his hearty way, he insisted upon her good looks.  He looked at her admiringly, and she took it at its full value.  Under the circumstances, she did not need to carry herself as pretty women do.  She picked that knowledge up fast enough for herself.  Drouet had a habit, characteristic of his kind, of looking after stylishly dressed or pretty women on the street and remarking upon them.  He had just enough of the feminine love of dress to be a good judge-not of intellect, but of clothes.  He saw how they set their little feet, how they carried their chins, with what grace ands sinuosity they swung their bodies.  A dainty, self-conscious swaying of the hips by a woman was to him as alluring as the glint of red wine to a toper.  He would turn and follow the disappearing vision with his eyes. he would thrill as a child with the unhindered passion that was in him.  He loves the thing that women love in themselves, grace.  At this their own shrine, he Knelt with them, an ardent devotee.