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Lenehan watches as Corley approaches the maid and the couple then proceeds to walk down Marrion Square. Lenehan decides to trail after the pair so that he can keep looking at the young woman. He continues to follow Corley and the maid down the street until the couple climbs the stairs of the Donnybrook tram. Unable to keep them in his line of sight anymore, Lenehan turns and walks back the way that he came. Finally alone, Lenehan aimlessly wanders through Dublin to pass the time until he needs to go meet Corley at the maid’s boss’ house to see if the plan worked. Lenehan becomes increasingly forlorn as he continues to walk and he looks older than his thirty years because of it. As he walks, he recalls the harpist that he and Corley passed earlier and he runs his hands along the railing of the Duke’s Lawn as if he, too, is playing the harp.
Not wishing to speak with anyone, Lenehan continues to walk down the street and wonders how he is going to pass the time because he has no desire to be social. He walks aimlessly until he passes a refreshment bar and he realizes that he has not eaten since breakfast. He decides to get something to eat and orders a quick meal of peas and ginger beer from the waitress. He feels self-conscious as he waits for his food because he feels like the other people at the refreshment bar (a mechanic and two other women) are judging him.
The waitress brings over the peas and the ginger beer and Lenehan starts to eat, marveling at how good the food is. As he eats, Lenehan sadly contemplates his life. He thinks about Corley and the maid on their date and he feels saddened that he does not have any prospects. He feels keenly aware of his “own poverty of purse and spirit.” Instead of just scraping by, Lenehan wishes instead for a steady job and stable home life. He imagines how nice it would be to come home after a day's work to a warm fire and a home-cooked meal but he knows that this fantasy is not compatible with his current lifestyle. He then bitterly reflects that his friends are all worthless like him and that he will never be able to settle down with any of the women that he has dated. Lenehan feels better after he finishes his meal and thinks that maybe his future will improve.
Lenehan leaves the bar and continues his walk through the Dublin streets. As he walks, he runs into some friends in the street who ask him about Corley and his antics. He chats with his companions for a while but then makes his way to meet Corley at a quarter to ten. Lenehan nervously smokes a cigarette, worrying that Corley has cut him out of the plan, before he spots Corley and the maid. He stealthily walks behind the couple until they stop at a posh residence, where the maid runs inside through the servant’s entrance. In a moment, she emerges from the front door, meets Corley, and then runs back inside. Corley leaves. Lenehan runs after him, but Corley ignores his calls. Eventually, Corley stops and shows Lenehan a gold coin, a sign that their plan to get the maid to steal from her boss was successful.
