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第6章 好傻好天真

　　Hurstwood liked Drouet. The latter's genial nature and dressyappearance pleased him. He knew that Drouet was only atravelling salesman--and not one of many years at that--but thefirm of Bartlett, Caryoe & Company was a large and prosperoushouse, and Drouet stood well. Hurstwood knew Caryoe quite well,having drunk a glass now and then with him, in company withseveral others, when the conversation was general. Drouet hadwhat was a help in his business, a moderate sense of humour, andcould tell a good story when the occasion required. He couldtalk races with Hurstwood, tell interesting incidents concerninghimself and his experiences with women, and report the state oftrade in the cities which he visited, and so managed to makehimself almost invariably agreeable. To-night he wasparticularly so, since his report to the company had beenfavourably commented upon, his new samples had beensatisfactorily selected, and his trip marked out for the next sixweeks.

　　"Pretty far--yes."

　　The next evening Carrie was called out, much as if for an error.

　　"I don't know," she murmured at last, "what I can do."

　　Carrie's cheek burned with a crimson heat. Her lips trembled alittle.

　　One day, looking down the ad. columns of the "Evening World," hesaw where a new play was at the Casino. Instantly, he came to amental halt. Carrie had gone! He remembered seeing a poster ofher only yesterday, but no doubt it was one left uncovered by thenew signs. Curiously, this fact shook him up. He had almost toadmit that somehow he was depending upon her being in the city.Now she was gone. He wondered how this important fact hadskipped him. Goodness knows when she would be back now.Impelled by a nervous fear, he rose and went into the dingy hall,where he counted his remaining money, unseen. There were but tendollars in all.

　　"What a fool I was to do that," he said over and over. "What amistake!"

　　"I meant that," he said.

　　When he did so, it was his intention to make believe that he hadjust come in and was disturbed at being caught. Then he wouldexplain his need of his clothes and find out how things stood.