Chapter 30

Summary

Carol, the Dyers, Erik, Cy Bogart and Fern Mullins go to Lake Minniemashie. Dave plays the clown. Cy also becomes very playful. They go for a swim. Carol remains very quiet. She is dressed like how she used to dress when she was a college girl and feels very conscious. She admires Erik's Greek dance and feels that Dave and Cy did not have good taste. The Dyers are very pleased with Erik. Maud calls him to sit near her. She tells Erik that she had become very sensitive and that the doctor had advised her to have nice people around her. She asks him to go with her to see the minnies. Carol does not like Erik paying attention to Maud. She is left alone with Dave and he tries to amuse her. Then Erik comes to Carol and asks her to go for a boat ride. She hesitates but goes with him and feels very conscious of his presence. They reach another part of the shore. Erik wants to stop there for a while. When they sit down he tells her that she looks innocent and defenseless. Carol likes to hear that. She doesn't want sit there for long and insists on returning. But she feels content to be in his company because he is being himself. When they return she realizes that it is very late and feels very embarrassed. Kennicott however, does not say anything when she reaches home late.

The next day Mrs. Bogart tries to grill Carol about the picnic and their boat ride. She tells her that people in Gopher Prairie can not enjoy such clean fun. However, she feels very conscious of herself when she is at the Jolly Seventeen. She meets Erik again at the Baptist church supper. He is busy helping Myrtle Cass to fill the coffee cups. She hates Erik for talking to so many people. Then she realizes that he wants to be accepted and feels sorry for him. She notices Mrs. Bogart watching her and feels frightened. She knows that her emotions are impossible and wishes to escape from it all. She tells Kennicott to take her to Chicago but he is too busy. She then begs him to let her go alone but he does not agree. She wakes up in the middle of the night and feels sorry for herself for being in love with a pretentious young man.

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