David and Catherine buy a car and drive to the Basque country on the Spanish border. They find a place to stay near the beach and visit a café. David plans to begin writing again and, as they lay in bed at night, Catherine assures him that she will find something to do while he works. The next morning, David writes in the hotel room while Catherine goes out to explore the village despite the inclement weather.

After he finishes writing, David ventures out to find Catherine at the café. They sit and sip absinthe, a strong and illegal liquor, which must be prepared in a specific manner. As she drinks, Catherine chides David for reading his reviews. He tells her to “shut up about the clippings” (30), but she continues to criticize him. David threatens to leave, but Catherine backs down. She thinks about how the brief argument was their first “sordid quarrel” (31). She assures David that she was just making a joke which backfired.

David wakes before Catherine. Although he is hungry, he writes while she sleeps. When he is finished and packing his things away, Catherine wakes and tells him that she will meet him at the café.