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第0章 玄幽出手

　　"Oh, I'm here now," answered Hurstwood, anxious to get away.

　　"I think I can do this."

　　"Isn't that clever?" he said, handing it to her and showing herhow it worked. "You never saw anything like that before."

　　"Oh, lovely!" exclaimed Lola, walking about.

　　"The man who owns this ground has sold it."

　　Hurstwood did not understand. He was wondering how she was to bepersuaded--what appeal would move her to forsake Drouet. Hebegan to wonder how far her affection for him would carry her.He was thinking of some question which would make her tell.

　　"What?" inquired Carrie.

　　"Oh, very," answered Carrie.

　　For some days thereafter he put on his overcoat regularly in themorning and sallied forth. On these ventures he first consoledhimself with the thought that with the seven hundred dollars hehad he could still make some advantageous arrangement. Hethought about going to some brewery, which, as he knew,frequently controlled saloons which they leased, and get them tohelp him. Then he remembered that he would have to pay outseveral hundred any way for fixtures and that he would havenothing left for his monthly expenses. It was costing him nearlyeighty dollars a month to live.