Of Human Bondage

In March, students make submissions to the Salon. Clutton has nothing ready, although he’s quick to criticize Lawson’s two portraits. Hayward comes to Paris for a visit—it’s the first time Philip has seen him since Heidelberg. Hayward hasn’t changed much, although Philip finds he has a lower opinion of him than he had before. Philip and Hayward tour museums and while Hayward tries to impress Philip with his knowledge, Philip now finds that he can hold his own in conversation.

A couple days later, Philip and Lawson host a party. Cronshaw makes a rare appearance outside the café, and a fellow student named Miss Ruth Chalice offers to cook. She is the only female student at the party and has a graceful, artistic air about everything she does.

After the party, summer comes, and several students make plans to leave Paris. Miss Price is disappointed when she hears that Philip too has plans to go to Moret with Lawson, where Miss Chalice will also be. Miss Price gets increasingly angry with him and eventually tells him he has no talent and will never be a painter. Philip eventually shrugs and leaves.

Moret is an old-fashioned town on the edge of a forest. Philip experiments there with oil painting. It gets hot, even at night, and he and Lawson often go to sit of Miss Chalice’s terrace. Philip realizes at one point that Lawson and Miss Chalice must be lovers. He becomes jealous of Lawson, not specifically over Miss Chalice but over the fact that he has love in general. Philip dreams idly of love, but he doesn’t experience it in person, and he’s relieved when weather changes and it’s time to go back to Paris.