Part 2 Chapter 4 Summary

Alexandra feels that Carl has not changed much and that he is still as sensitive and unhappy as he was as a boy. She and Carl spend a lot of time confiding in one another. Alexandra confesses her joy at the way Emil is turning out: urban and smart, perhaps he may become a lawyer. Emil is why her grandfather came to this country. She says she cannot take credit for the prosperity of her farm; she simply learned to let the land work itself and then prosperity came on its own.

She tells Carl that Marie Tovesky, the little city girl, has grown up and married Frank Shabata. They now live next door to her. She is very close to Marie, but Frank has a difficult personality. Carl confesses that he is ashamed of the way his life has turned...