Chapter 12 Summary

Fillmore takes Henry into his studio apartment that overlooks the cavalry barracks. Henry works on his book off and on, while Fillmore checks for new pages each day. Fillmore also likes to bring women to his apartment and impress them that he is an artistic painter, although he is not. During bad winter weather, Henry notices that the cavalry soldiers seem ridiculous, as opposed to their typical French natures during good weather. He meets Macha, a Russian woman who claims to be a princess. Fillmore tries to make love with her but fails. He tries again, and this time she seems to cooperate up until the point of entry, and then she tells him about her case of gonorrhea. This causes Fillmore to lose interest. He and Henry go to a brothel where they hire the services of a very attractive Black prostitute...