disturbance which he felt. Could it be that Carrie had received
so many visits and yet said nothing about them? Was Hurstwood
lying? What did the chambermaid mean by it, anyway? He had
thought there was something odd about Carrie's manner at the
time. Why did she look so disturbed when he had asked her how
many times Hurstwood had called? By George! He remembered now.
There was something strange about the whole thing.

He sat down in a rocking-chair to think the better, drawing up
one leg on his knee and frowning mightily. His mind ran on at a
great rate.

And yet Carrie hadn't acted out of the ordinary. It couldn't be,
by George, that she was deceiving him. She hadn't acted that
way. Why, even last night she had been as friendly toward him as
could be, and Hurstwood too. Look how they acted! He could
hardly believe they would try to deceive him.

His thoughts burst into words.

"She did act sort of funny at times. Here she had dressed, and
gone out this morning and never said a word."

He scratched his head and prepared to go down town. He was still
frowning. As he came into the hall he encountered the girl, who
was now looking after another chamber. She had on a white
dusting cap, beneath which her chubby face shone good-naturedly.
Drouet almost forgot his worry in the fact that she was smiling
on him. He put his hand familiarly on her shoulder, as if only
to greet her in passing.