House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“The precious minutes were flying, however; the big chestnuts pawed the ground and flecked their impatient sides with foam; the coachman seemed to be slowly petrifying on the box, and the groom on the doorstep; and still the lady did not come (Wharton, 41).”  ~Foreshadowing

This word “groom” within this sentence screams foreshadowing to me. It is fairly small, but unfortunately, I acquired the final occurrences of the novel. However, without the knowledge, the word groom would have just confused me. Now, I have better understanding of the end. Although Lily craves the financial security that Gryce offers, she deems him too lackluster and safe to be her husband. He goes to church and find his Britannica as his crown jewel. He only divulges money to his collection. Nevertheless, the lure of a stable, large income strengthens her desire to marry. Now, she chases him with resolve. I know that Lily Bart declines the romance between Gryce and her. From the word groom, I divine that he will ask, she says yes, but leaves him at the altar because the strict path of being his wife inhibits Lily’s will for money.