Chapter Thirteen Summary

In the night, Cincinnatus again hears the scratching noises in the walls. He wants to believe in a savior tunneling toward him. He takes a chair and knocks on the walls, trying to communicate with the digger. The digging noises pause and then continue, and Cincinnatus believes he has communicated with the other. Cincinnatus considers creating a tapping alphabet, but the morning is breaking. The noises disappear. All through the day, Cincinnatus is filled with hope.

Cincinnatus's letter to Marthe is still unsent. It is an attempt to communicate the reality of his situation to his wife. He begs her to have some human feeling toward him, if only for a moment. He bemoans her infidelities and the torture of their married life. He cannot express why he feels so betrayed, and he says he knows she is not real. Still...