Summary

The story begins with a man named Morse walking home along the Taganac River to his small rental house, of which Morse is rather ashamed and embarrassed. His walk takes him through the grounds of a Catholic school, and he worries that he will be seen as strange for being there. He also worries that he is, in fact, strange. The narration describes him as often anxious and insecure. He is passed by Aldo Cummings, an unemployed man in his forties who lives with his (Cummings’) mother. Although Morse has no particular affection for Cummings, he feels a little hurt and embarrassed by the fact that Cummings, who is usually quite outgoing, made no attempt to greet or talk to Morse. Morse then thinks anxiously of his family and of son Robert, who has an upcoming piano recital that is going to go...