CHAPTER 24

Summary

Henry and Catherine walked down the stairs. Initially, the manager, who was HenryÂ’s acquaintance, had refused payment for the room. But, when they checked out, he had conveniently stationed a waiter in the lobby to make sure that he paid. Pregnant, Catherine felt hungry often. It was raining hard when they reached the station. Henry got on the train and it moved away. The machine-gunner had kept a seat for him but a captain objected, saying that he had come first. Henry gave up the seat to him. There were no more vacant seats so Henry slept on the floor of the corridor, hugging his luggage.

Notes

The persistent symbol, the rain, occurs here at the parting of the lovers. Henry gives up the seat to the captain without argument because he feels that the latter is right or because the latter outranks him. Previously, he had given up a fight with another officer in the mess because the other was a better man than he. Henry strikes us as a man without strong convictions.

 

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