reached the stage of intimacy at which Carrie called him by his
Christian name without hankering after further marks of her favor.

"He is fond of you, of course!" said Max, feeling that he had no right
to say this, but justifying into himself on the ground of his wish to
help her out of her wretched position.

"Well, I suppose he is."

"Are you--of course I've no right to ask--but are you fond of him?"

Carrie shook her head with indifference.

"I like him in my way," said she. "Not in his way. There's a great
difference."

"And do you like any man--in his way?"

The girl replied with a significant gesture of disgust, which had in it
nothing of coquetry, nothing of affectation.

"No," said she, shortly.

"Why do you answer like that?"

"Why? Oh, well, if you knew all that I've seen, you wouldn't wonder, you
wouldn't want to ask."

"You won't always feel like that. You won't, when you have got away from
this hole, and are living among decent people."