Study Guide

The Price of Salt, or Carol Chapter 7

By Patricia Highsmith

Chapter 7

Therese pawns a necklace that Richard gave her to get some money.
She uses that money to buy a handbag for Carol. The handbag costs $71.18, which is $638 in 2015 money (source).
It's Therese's last night working at the department store, and she goes to a bar with Carol afterward.
Carol seems unsettled, but she won't tell Therese what's going on.
She doesn't want to talk about her failing marriage, so she asks Therese about Richard.
Carol thinks that Therese knows Richard better than she knows her own husband; she thinks marrying Harge was a mistake.
After a few drinks, they purchase a Christmas tree and take it to Carol's house to decorate it.
It's late, so Therese spends the night.
She sleeps in Harge's room.
In the morning, the women have a visitor in the form of Carol's friend Abby, who joins them for coffee.
Therese sips her coffee and listens to Carol and Abby talk. The coffee isn't bitter, but Therese is—she's bitter that Abby can make Carol laugh, but she can't.
For some unknown reason, Abby drives Therese home instead of Carol.
Abby asks Therese how they met, and Therese says, "In a store" (7.201).
When she gets home, Therese gives Abby the really expensive purse to give to Carol as a Christmas gift.