A new burst of rage swept over him — What did it matter whether it was true or not — whether anything was true or not? What did it matter if anybody had done all the hideous and loathsome things that everybody else said they had done? It was what everybody was saying! It was what everybody believed — what everybody was interested in! It was the measure of a whole society — their ideals and their standards! It was the way they spent their time, repeating nasty scandals about each other; living in an atmosphere of suspicion and cynicism, with endless whispering and leering, and gossip of low intrigue.
I m going to stop squandering money for things I don t want. I m going to stop accepting invitations, and meeting people I don t like and don t want to know. I ve tried your game — I ve tried it hard, and I don t like it; and I m going to get out before it s too late. I m going to find some decent and simple place to live in; and I m going down town to find out if there isn t some way in New York for a man to earn an honest living!