This passage is adapted from Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth. Originally published in 1905.
Selden paused in surprise. In the afternoon rush of Grand Central Station, his eyes had been refreshed by the sight of Miss Lily Bart.
It was a Monday in early September, and he was returning to his work from a hurried dip into the country; but what was Miss Bart doing in town at that season? If she had appeared to be catching a train, he might have inferred that he had found her in the act of transition between one and another of the country-houses which fought over her after the close of the Newport season; but her aimless air perplexed him. She stood apart from the crowd, letting it drift by her to the platform or the street, and wearing an air of hesitation which might, as he surmised, be the mask of a very definite purpose. It struck him at once that she was waiting for someone, but he hardly knew why the idea arrested him. There was nothing new about Lily Bart, yet he could never see her without a faint movement of interest: it was characteristic of her that she always roused speculation, that her simplest acts seemed the result of far-reaching intentions.
An impulse of curiosity made him turn out of his direct line to the door, and stroll past her. He knew that if she did not wish to be seen she would contrive to elude him; and it amused him to think of putting her skill to the test.
“Mr. Selden—what good luck!”
She came forward smiling, eager almost, in her resolve to intercept him. One or two persons, in brushing past them, lingered to look; for Miss Bart was a figure to arrest even the suburban traveler rushing to his last train.
Selden had never seen her more radiant. Her vivid head, relieved against the dull tints of the crowd, made her more conspicuous than in a ball-room, and under her dark hat and veil she regained the girlish smoothness, the purity of tint, that she was beginning to lose after eleven years of late hours and indefatigable dancing. Was it really eleven years, Selden found himself wondering, and had she indeed reached the nine-and-twentieth birthday with which her rivals credited her?
“What luck!” she repeated. “How nice of you to come to my rescue!”
He responded joyfully that to do so was his mission in life, and asked what form the rescue was to take.
“Oh, almost any—even to sitting on a bench and talking to me. One sits out a cotillion—why not sit out a train? It isn’t a bit hotter here than in Mrs. Van Osburgh’s conservatory—and some of the women are not a bit uglier.” She broke off, laughing, to explain that she had come up to town from Tuxedo, on her way to the Gus Trenors’ at Bellomont, and had missed the three-fifteen train to Rhinebeck. “And there isn’t another till half-past five.” She consulted the little jeweled watch among her laces. “Just two hours to wait. And I don’t know what to do with myself. My maid came up this morning to do some shopping for me, and was to go on to Bellomont at one o’clock, and my aunt’s house is closed, and I don’t know a soul in town.” She glanced plaintively about the station. “It is hotter than Mrs. Van Osburgh’s, after all. If you can spare the time, do take me somewhere for a breath of air.”
He declared himself entirely at her disposal: the adventure struck him as diverting. As a spectator, he had always enjoyed Lily Bart; and his course lay so far out of her orbit that it amused him to be drawn for a moment into the sudden intimacy which her proposal implied.
Question
Which of these statements best reflects a theme found in the story?
Responses
A People who lack common sense are more common than in society.People who lack common sense are more common than in society.
B Sometimes things work out in your favor in unexpected ways.Sometimes things work out in your favor in unexpected ways.
C Attractive people receive good treatment even when being repulsive.Attractive people receive good treatment even when being repulsive.
D Impulsive actions always result in unsafe outcomes and alarming situations.Impulsive actions always result in unsafe outcomes and alarming situations.
1 answer
The statement that best reflects a theme found in "The House of Mirth" is:
B Sometimes things work out in your favor in unexpected ways.
This theme resonates with the unexpected encounter between Selden and Lily, leading to an unforeseen moment of connection and intimacy that disrupts their routine lives. Their interaction highlights the idea that chance encounters can lead to positive experiences, despite the surrounding complexities of their social circumstances.
