Part 2: Chapter 4-6 Summary

As Fiammetta gains her strength in Chapter 4, Bucino tries to familiarize himself with the city. He has a strong distaste for their surroundings, as he greatly fears water. Moreover, being so close to the ground, he feels that he can smell the stench from the canals especially strongly. However, he needs to understand the city in order for Fiammetta to survive as a courtesan. He follows the courtesans to church, where he watches them seducing businessmen with just their eyes and facial expressions.

Chapter 5 describes the aftermath of the church service, in which the courtesans and their patrons all gather in a square to make arrangements and to flirt more. Darting between them and then apart from the crowd, Bucino observes and takes notes. He also wonders if he sees a familiar face in the crowd, but the reader...