The House of Mirth

As she exits her aunt’s residence, Lily feels that she is saying farewell to her old life despite lacking plans for her future. Carry Fisher stops Lily on the street and apologizes for snubbing her at the restaurant when she was following Judy’s lead. Carry invites Lily to spend the weekend with her at the Sam Gormers’ country estate. In the past, Lily would have avoided the noisy Gormer milieu of actresses and artists as an inferior caricature of her high-society set. However, now Lily is grateful to escape the city heat and return to a luxurious life without material worries: “a hard glaze of indifference was fast forming over her delicacies […] and each concession to expediency hardened the surface a little more” (245). After the weekend, Lily finds herself stranded again without a place. Carry suggests that Lily substitute for her in arranging things for the Gormers on an excursion to Alaska in their private railroad car, while Carry accompanies the Brys (with whom she has reconciled) to Newport.

Gerty opposes Lily’s plan to travel with the Gormers to Alaska because she feels that her friend is cheapening herself by accompanying people that she would never have chosen to cultivate. Gerty also thinks Lily will not be able to escape her former manner of life if she renews her habit of luxury. Lily visits Alaska with the Gormer party, but longs to return to her former high-society set.

Carry advises Lily to marry as soon as she can and suggests one and a half candidates. George Dorset is the half-husband proposed by Carry because the Dorsets’ marriage is almost over, but George cannot stand alone, and he needs Lily’s proof of his wife’s affair with Ned to divorce. Lily refuses to stoop this low. Carry’s other candidate is Rosedale. Lily no longer scorns Rosedale; she notices how his masterly use of his wealth is advancing him toward social prominence. However, the social ostracism Lily is enduring undercuts her value to Rosedale since he needs a wife to complete his social ascent. Lily discerns that Rosedale has a passion for her underneath this utilitarian motive and she wonders if she should exert her power over him to achieve a marriage.

Part of Lily’s duty with the Gormers is to accompany her hostess on frequent visits overseeing the construction of the family’s new country residence on Long Island. Tired of being a passive, insignificant observer of other people’s pleasurable spending, Lily feels “of no more account among them than an expensive toy in the hands of a spoiled child” (253). Wandering alone around the property, Lily encounters George Dorset, whose estate is nearby. Finally aware of his wife’s deceit and how Lily was sacrificed to bring about his temporary reconciliation with Bertha, George apologizes to Lily. He begs Lily to secretly provide evidence that would enable him to divorce his wife, but Lily rejects this method for her revenge and rehabilitation.

When Lily returns to the Gormers’ unfinished house, she is surprised to discover that Bertha, who usually would believe Mrs. Gormer was beneath her notice, paid her an unexpected visit. Later, at Carry Fisher’s rented small house, Lily learns that Bertha made horrible insinuations about her to Mrs. Gormer. Carry warns Lily that if Bertha is still cruel enough to want to harm her reputation with other people, it must be because Bertha is still frightened about what Lily could do to her. Carry insists that getting married is the only way Lily can protect herself from Bertha. Carry hosted Rosedale and a few guests when Lily dined with her. Lily witnessed Rosedale’s spontaneous kindness to Carry’s young daughter. Lily recognizes that he would be a kind husband to her “in his gross, unscrupulous, rapacious way, the way of the predatory creature with his mate” (261).

In the wake of Carry’s advice to her, Lily agrees to take a walk with Rosedale. Despite the light of the day reminding Lily of the September afternoon when she walked with Selden at Bellomont in an escape from a marriage for money, Lily steels herself for attaining such a goal with Rosedale. Threatened by Bertha’s efforts to split her from the Gormers, Lily yearns for financial security and the chance to triumph over her enemy. Despite her personal reluctance, Lily forces herself to accept Rosedale’s former marriage proposal. However, Rosedale states that he has no intention of renewing his proposal, since her reputation would be a social hindrance to him now, even if he does not believe the nasty stories circulating about Lily.

Lily keeps her composure and tries to formally bid Rosedale farewell. Rosedale’s passion for Lily flares again. He asks why Lily does not use the power in her hands: the incriminating letters from Bertha to Selden that she purchased last year. As the owner of the Benedick apartment building, Rosedale found out about Lily’s transaction. Lily is speechless as Rosedale continues his argument that the best course for Lily is to force Bertha to back her up, instead of fighting her by marrying George. Although Rosedale is proposing a form of blackmail, his presentation of the use of Bertha’s letters as a pure business matter fascinates Lily’s weary mind as an “escape from fluctuating ethical estimates into a region of concrete weights and measures” (271).

Rosedale further points out that Bertha’s gossip could not have harmed Lily if there had not already been questions about her because of her position as a beautiful young woman with miserly relatives. Rosedale asserts that the letters would be only the first step. To ensure Lily retains power against Bertha, she must then marry Rosedale or else Lily will be tormented by financial worries again. Startled into moral revulsion, Lily rejects Rosedale’s plan. Rosedale angrily infers that Lily’s reluctance stems from trying to protect Selden. Rosedale does not think that Selden has shown Lily any gratitude.