When Lily showed her human side

Thus far in The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton has portrayed Lily as a woman who is constantly scheming and calculating.  She seems to only care what people think of her because it could help her use them at some point in the future.  The glaring exception to this trend throughout the book has been Selden.  Lily took such pleasure in giving into an impulse and spending time in Selden's apartment, then lied about it immediately.  This exception was strongly noted at the end of chapter eight in the first book.  The narrator reveals Lily believes she will always look her worst when Selden is with her.  She also shows embarrassment for the first time when she had to talk to Rosedale in front of Selden.  As she walked away with Rosedale, "every nerve in her throbbed with the consciousness of what Selden must have thought of the scene," (Wharton, 78).  This scene, in which Lily showed the first real traces of strong human emotion, made me personally like Lily more.  She finally seemed like a normal woman who was simply trying to gain the approval of a man.  The brief emotional side quickly vanished when Lily tries to locate Gryce and make sure her investment is still available.  It was interesting to see Lily in such a way that she acted desperate and unknowing of what a person she was interacting with was thinking.  It will be much easier to view Lily in a favorable light in the future if she continues to act emotionally and follow what she feels is good, not what she thinks is good.