The Fountainhead Part 2, Chapter 15

The morning Peter is supposed to pick Catherine up and marry her, he has forced himself to forget her. Dominique comes to his house; she greets his mother correctly. Mrs. Keating says that she will be moving out; Dominique assures her that she doesn't want to disrupt Peter's life as it is. Peter goes to the office to talk to Guy Francon; Francon implies that once he retires Peter will have the firm to himself. Peter tells Guy not to talk about such things. Guy tells Peter that he wants him to be proud of him, that he wants to make sure it was all worth it. This makes Peter mad, that Guy still doesn't know if it was worth it whereas Roark knows already. After dinner, many guests drop by Peter's apartment to wish the couple well; when they go to bed, Dominique allows him to have sex with her. She is unresponsive, and afterward he asks her, "who was he?" She answers Roark, but he doesn't believe her. She tells him he can do it as often or seldom as he pleases.

Ellsworth sends Dominique flowers to congratulate her; she invites him for dinner. The three dine. Peter calls attention to the fact that he had thought Dominique and Ellsworth didn't get along. Ellsworth says that the three of them make a good group, and that he is a replacement for his antipode (Roark) in the threesome. Peter gets a phone call and goes into the other room to give orders to a drafstman, while Ellsworth and Dominique talk. He tells her that he has suspected for some time that she was in love with Roark, and he wouldn't give her the time of day. She says she overestimated him. Peter comes back and Ellsworth mentions the Stoddard project.

Topic Tracking: Doubles 3

The Stoddard building is to be rebuilt by a group of architects chosen by Ellsworth, all members of his Council of American Builders: Keating, Prescott, Snyte, and Gus Webb. The Council has grown and the A.G.A. is beginning to fear Toohey as a man who can make a client sue, and invite him to speak at a meeting of theirs. His speech incites several members of the A.G.A. to join the Council of American Builders. The architects rebuilding the Stoddard place enjoy great comradery between them. To create a unified effect in the building, they decide not to use any historical period in its true form, but parts of one with parts of another. The home opens, and only the hopeless cases are admitted. Every month there is an inspection from the sponsors, and they are so pleased with what Toohey is doing, that they give him both praise and money for his other endeavors. Catherine Halsey is put in charge of the children's therapy, and throws all of herself into the work. Toohey has bought Dominique's statue, but no one knows this.

Because of the depression, there is very little work to do and no one wants to take a chance on Roark because of the stories. He does small jobs every so often. He saved some money and pays Mallory's rent, not for Mallory, but because he wants to buy Mallory's time and take him away from what the world wants him to do. He wants Mallory to work, without asking anyone what to work on. Heller says it's amusing to see Roark in the role of altruist; Roark tells him not to insult him. What he doesn't understand, though, is why with all the suffering of people like Mallory the people who are concerned with altruism (an unselfish regard for others; self-sacrifice) don't do something about helping them, instead of less important things.

Roark goes to see the reconstructed Stoddard temple. He sees Ellsworth, who wants to talk to him. Ellsworth says he understands Roark's work better than anyone, with the possible exception of Dominique. He asks Roark what he thinks of him; Roark says he doesn't. Seemingly defeated, Ellsworth walks away, and Roark is left looking at the building.