Chapter 9 Summary

The narrator and Boris continue looking for work for three more days, eating their diminishing meals of bread and soup in the narrator's bedroom. Then Boris hears through a Russian acquaintance of a new restaurant opening and looking for employees.

They make themselves look as well as they can, pinching their cheeks to avoid looking so pale and go to meet the patron of the new restaurant. The patron is impressed with the narrator because he is an Englishmen, and the two discuss golf. The patron agrees to hire the narrator and Boris, and tells them that the restaurant, called Auberge de Jehan Cottard, will open in two weeks.

They're very excited but still have two weeks before getting pay. The next two days they are very hungry. They rub garlic on their bread because the lingering taste of garlic gives the impression...