Chapter Seven Summary

Cincinnatus awakes the next morning and dresses in his best clothes in anticipation of meeting Marthe. Rodion places flowers not quite in the center of the table and brings in a stool and a chair. Rodrig Ivanovich enters at ten o'clock and inspects the room. Then, Rodrig goes and gets the guest—not Marthe, but the other prisoner, M'sieur Pierre.

Pierre makes absurd and polite conversation with the disappointed Cincinnatus while the director hovers and fauns over Pierre. Pierre says he's a photographer and pulls out a stack of photos, all of himself. The director gushes over them. Then, Pierre performs an absurd card trick and tells a nonsensical joke. He brags about his brilliance and sensitivity, while Cincinnatus sits morosely.

The librarian comes in with some new books for Cincinnatus, and the director begs Pierre to do the card...