Selden And Carrie And Lily's Relationship

I found it interesting the connection between the first chapter of the second book and that of the first book of House of Mirth. Well, the connection is the first significant moment with a cigarette. In the first book, Lily lights her cigarette with Selden’s, which is also a time when he takes account of her beauty, the length of her eyelashes, etc. This contrasts with this book, the second book, because now the moment is shared between Selden and Carrie Fisher. What is so fascinating is the cigarette and what it represents. The little cigarette holds so much intimacy and power to bring two people together and create deep, meaningful moments. In this moment between Selden and Carrie, she admits things, things including Lily, who Selden cannot