Summary

Leda sleeps on the sofa; upon waking she cannot find the doll and becomes anxious. She eventually finds Nani in the kitchen, "in the shadows" (63). The weather is not good for the beach, so Leda decides to go into town. Once out on the street, she remembers her plan to buy clothes for the doll, so she heads for the toy shop, where she purchases an outfit for Nani.

As Leda is leaving the shop, Rosaria and her husband, Corrado, are just entering. Rosaria asks how Leda's injury is, and whether the ointment helped. Leda spots Nina approaching the shop with Elena in her arms. Nina gives "the impression of a delicately-colored shell that keeps its soft inner mass -- colorless, watchful -- tightly locked up" (64). Elena, although dressed in a nice dress, appears messy, with a runny nose and chocolate stains on her...