Summary

In Chapter 18, Benny, standing at the edge of the Brooklyn Bridge, continues to reflect on his financial and romantic hardships. He describes the inadvisable and occasionally illegal sales that Mickey spearheads. Mickey “had let some things go for a small fraction of what they were worth; others he had sold for huge sums…” (245). Benny mentions that Mickeys sells a stack of LPs from Africa (this includes the copy of “Honey and Ashes” that Rosamund later gives to Caruso). Other dealers and collectors slowly blacklist Benny’s business. Benny’s lawyer tells him that he faces many years of financial difficulty and that his life will never return to normal. Jillian, put-off by the conflict, leaves Benny. Later, Benny runs into Jillian on the street but says nothing to her. The city overwhelms Benny and he returns, unhappily, to his home.

In Chapter 19, “The...