How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The smart thing for me to do was to take another drink and forget the whole mess.
That being the obviously smart thing to do, I called Eddie Mars and told him I was coming down to Las Olindas that evening to talk to him. That was how smart I was. (21.23-24)
By this point of the novel, Marlowe has already solved the case of the blackmail, so why doesn't he just close the case and move on? Well, we know that Marlowe is fond of General Sternwood and it bugs Marlowe that he can't figure out what happened to Rusty. Maybe he can't let sleeping dogs lie because his dedication to the truth compels him to keep digging into the Sternwoods' past.
Quote #8
Eddie Mars: "I hear you got the information already. I felt I owed you a fee. I'm used to paying for nice treatment."
"I didn't drive down here to make a touch. I get paid for what I do. Not much by your standards, but I make out. One customer at a time is a good rule." (21.45-46)
Marlowe again sticks to his principles by refusing to take Mars' money, which really highlights the difference between these two. But it also points to an interesting question: is Mars trying to thank Marlowe for his help, or is Mars trying to buy Marlowe's loyalty?
Quote #9
"It's a question of professional pride. […] I'm working for your father. He's a sick man, very frail, very helpless. He sort of trusts me not to pull any stunts." (24.27)
When Marlowe finds Carmen naked in his bed, he rejects her by saying that it's a matter of "professional pride." Marlowe's professional ethic compels him to remain loyal to the General's interests, even (or especially) when it seems unnecessary or futile.