Chapter 15 Summary

In the springtime Carl telegraphs Henry about coming back to Paris. Henry takes the opportunity and leaves his exchange professorship position without a word. He discovers that Carl was nearly thrown in jail when the mother of an underage girl that he was having sex with became upset that the girl's watch was missing. Carl says that he likes the mother better than the daughter and would have chased the mother had he met her first. Meanwhile, Van Norden has given up women in favor of masturbation, because it saves time, money and trouble. Fillmore is in the hospital, because he has delusions of grandeur. He has taken up with a French peasant woman, Ginette, who scratches him during their continual fighting.

Fillmore is transferred to a sanatorium where he recovers. During this time he meets Ginette's parents and agrees to marry her...