Chapter 4: Noel Summary

Noel is waiting for his latest girlfriend Amabel to show up for their weekend vacation at a friend's house. Just like his sister Nancy, appearances mean a great deal to Noel, which is why he drives a fancy Jaguar that is not new, has a small and cramped apartment because of its prestigious address and has an expensive wardrobe. Amabel fits nicely in this arrangement as she comes from a well-connected family.

On the way out, he lends Amabel Lawrence Stern's old coat. She finds a letter inside and hands it to Noel once they have reached their weekend destination. In it, an appraiser writes Lawrence about some oil sketches he had done. The letter gets Noel thinking about other possible sketches that Lawrence might have had lying around and how expensive they might be now. He plans to visit his...