Chapter 2, The Gastein Journal, Section 2 Summary

This section comprises several postcards from guests at the hotel, describing what they have experienced so far. The first several post cards describe an afternoon on a yacht. An old nurse describes a young paralyzed couple that sits together on the yacht. A priest writes to his mother, pointing out religious imagery on the yacht and mentioning a girl who drowned in his arms. The Japanese maid describes a "moon couple" who is out on a yacht for the day, leaving her to finally rest without changing their sheets. A corsetiere brazenly comments on what the young couple on the yacht near her is doing, then mentions trying to enjoy the holiday without her husband. The major complains about the crowding on the yacht, adding he didn't think the flood got rid of enough people...