Iris's health continues to worsen, and she increasingly relies on Myra for help around the house. She also admits to her doctor that she is having trouble sleeping because of her dreams. He prescribes sleeping pills, but she continues to have nightmares involving her past. At one point, she dreams that she has woken up and gone to her window, only to see the chestnut tree that stood outside her house with Richard. She notices a man hunting through the garbage cans, and calls after him as he leaves. In the dream, this wakes up Richard, who crosses over to the window and prepares "to put his hand on [Iris's] neck" (396). 

Iris's memoir returns to the spring of 1936, when she says her life began to unravel. Winifred continues to treat Iris as a slightly slow "protégée," Richard prepares to enter politics, and Laura continues to shun Richard (370). Laura also winds up being expelled from school after skipping classes and writing an essay entitled "Does God Lie?" (374). Not long after, the entire family goes on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary, and then to Avilion for the summer. While there, Iris learns that Callie was arrested on suspicion of being involved with Communist groups, and that Richard bailed her out of jail.