Summary

In Adelina’s house, Urania tells of how Manuel Alfonso came to pick her up. Urania narrates the drive to the Mahogany house, where she observed the bustle of early evening activity, a spectacle that would remain etched in her memory. Manuel tried to comfort her by telling her of past parties and of what a gentleman Trujillo was. After Urania asked about the guests, he revealed that it was a party just for her. Manuel appealed to her love for her father, saying that this would restore him to grace. In the present-tense dialogue peppered through Urania’s narrative, Urania says that she began to realize what was happening.

Urania arrived at the Mahogany House. She was overwhelmed by the kitsch of the decorations and particularly an immense rug with the Dominican seal on it. To Adelina and the others, she says she...