The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
Good Lord Rosedale! You are not supposed to stalk young women, that is incredibly creepy and you should be arrested. On with the story: Lily meets up with Rosedale and he questions her recent success in the stock market. She tells him how Trenor helped her, Rosedale hits on her, and they go their separate ways. She then goes to Trenor angry at him for telling people of her investments, but forgives him nonetheless. But lo and behold, Trenor is a creepy old man too and begins flirting with Lily! He is somewhat angry for her not spending more time with him, which frightens Lily. She tries her past to leave the situation while being as polite as possible. Lily shows her disgust of both Trenor and Rosedale when she thought "it was distasteful enough to hear her name coupled with Trenor's, and on Rosedale's lips the allusion was peculiarly unpleasant" (Wharton, 92). I began to feel bad for Lily, as she has to juggle her money problems along with several men, some of which she wants to marry and others she wants to rot in a ditch somewhere. Even worse for Lily is that a rumor goes around that her and Gus Trenor could be having an affair and her aunt, Mrs Penniston, catches wind of that. She also hears of her gambling debts, but staunchly refuses to believe. She trusts Lily and believes she is a proper young lady, but it doesn't stop her from being angry at the situation.
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