Although the events of the previous evening have upset Lily, her first thoughts upon awakening are those of the old Lily, annoyed at the discomfort she has suffered by sleeping in Gerty’s austere surroundings. This irritation indicates that she will never be comfortable without the luxuries to which she has become accustomed. It is certainly implied that she would not choose to turn her back on an affluent lifestyle.
As Lily contemplates accepting Rosedale’s proposal, she observes herself in the mirror. She recognizes that she is beginning to show signs of physical aging, and wonders, “when a girl looks old to herself, how does she look to other people?” She reconsiders Rosedale’s offer, and the combination of her debts and her fears of looking older nearly induce her to write Rosedale to tell him that she has made up her mind to marry him. She cannot complete the letter, however, and is interrupted by the delivery of the invitation to join the Dorsets on their cruise.
