Summary

In chapter 12, Norah describes waking in the middle of the night while sharing a bed with her husband. Norah describes her impression of him while he is sleeping. Norah admits that sometimes there was a "flick of joy" (192) when she sometimes thought that her husband died in his sleep. She then contemplates the behavior of Boyd and Niall, and to what extent it is similar to her own "sadism" (193).

Chapter 13 begins with Norah describing Katherine's deteriorating mental state. During this time Katherine relies more and more on her relationship with Father Des. Norah describes how one day she called Father Des on the telephone in an attempt to learn more about her mother. The conversation is described as being very brief, but then Norah describes a hypothetical conversation with Father Des, where she discusses with him about Niall, virginity, and her mother's sex...