Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary

John and Florence spend twelve years bouncing from city to city, making short, superficial visits to places Florence choose. John monitors and curtails Florence's behavior so she doesn't further damage her heart. He has no profession and no personal interests, so he has plenty of time to act as Florence's nurse. His experiences remind him of a story he once heard, about a great poet who cuckolded the wife of a ferocious warrior while the warrior lectured his wife on how to treat poets with respect.

Florence's uncle, with whom she made one extended voyage by sea before marrying John, also seems to suffer from a weak heart but dies of bronchitis at age 84, just five days before Florence dies. Florence inherits his money; when Florence dies, it passes to John but he does not want it. As he is sorting...