Clyde, for the first time, has a girl pay attention to him and is thrilled and excited. However, Hortense comes to their date one-half hour late, telling Clyde that she had made two dates, and she had to cancel the other one.
Hortense's looks are important to Clyde. In fact, he determines that his girl must be pretty. "The thought of being content with one not so attractive almost nauseated him."
Hortense continues to "work" Clyde, enjoying making him jealous. Like the prostitute earlier in the book, Hortense believes that that Clyde is a higher class of boy than those she knows and is "more refined." Clyde wants Hortense totally to himself, yet recognizes that she is impersonal in her relationship to him. She's interested in him only because he'll spend his money.....
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