- Mimi jokes that Augie looks dressed to join his brother in becoming a married man.
- Augie leaves to pick up his mother.
- He has the Pontiac for this purpose. Simon has given him instructions for the task.
- Simon has also promised him material support if he courts Lucy Magnus.
- The two brothers are in Simon's governor's suite. Simon is expected downstairs, but he's taking his time getting himself ready.
- Charlotte comes in and blames Augie for the delay.
- Once downstairs, Simon asks Augie to check his mom's cane. He doesn't like her with it.
- Augie sees the Einhorns, whom he's invited, Arthur included.
- Five Properties and Cissy are there as well. Cissy has apparently taught him more civilized behavior.
- The wedding music begins.
- Augie notices Lucy looking at him throughout the ceremony.
- At the banquet, Augie is called over because Five Properties is outrages at having been placed at a table set apart and placed behind a pillar.
- Augie doesn't know whether Simon or Charlotte organized the insult.
- Cissy tells Augie to tell Simon congratulations and that his wife is very pretty.
- Augie won't. He doesn't want to play their game.
- When Simon asks where the two went, Augie lies and tells him they could only come for the ceremony. He gives no satisfaction.
- Lucy and Augie date, but he's not to her family's liking. Augie doesn't want to be under their influence any more than he wanted to be under the influence of the Renlings.
- Simon begins to notice and becomes pushier toward Augie.
- He also grows more violent. He beats a rude, drunken customer named Guzynski with his gun instead of waiting for the police to arrive and take the offender away.
- To prevent the beaten man from reporting him to the police, Simon calls his connection at the police station, Nuzzo, and explains the situation.
- Guzynski is in the lockup several days.
- He returns as a customer and gives no trouble.
- Simon says his improved behavior results from his now knowing where he stands.
- He wants Augie to take that kind of initiative with Lucy, but Augie won't marry for an objective other than love.
- The relationship between the brothers becomes strained.
- Mimi hears him talking in his sleep one night and comes into his room to talk.
- Augie wrecks the car on one of his errands.
- Lucy consoles him, but Simon is upset, both at the car and that Augie isn't as upset as Simon thinks he should be.
- Augie stays in that evening to read.
- Mimi Villars comes into his room and tells him that Frazer knocked her up.
- Frazier has had to leave to give a paper at a conference in Louisiana.
- Augie asks if they'll be getting married. Mimi gives him a long silence then says he must think she loses her head easily.
- Thye go out for coffee.
- A dog pees on Mimi's foot. She yells at the owner, then that's the woman's fur coat off and uses it to dry herself.
- Mimi discusses a new method of abortion she's heard about. She's already tried a few things to encourage a miscarriage.
- Augie is concerned about complications and her having to go the hospital if something goes wrong.
- She says the hospital has to take you if you're life is in danger, but Augie still worries about the risk.
- Mimi responds that the alternative, having a baby, is something she can't do.
- An eavesdropping stranger in the place calls her a crazy broad.
- She insults him back.
- They leave and continue the conversation outside.
- Like Mimi, Augie is what today we'd call "pro-choice," so he doesn't keep up the argument with her.
- Instead, he takes her to the doctor appointment.
- The doctor looks unprofessional. With disdain, he explains the injection to them.
- He cracks a joke, but Mimi isn't timid like most of his other patients. She tells him to keep it professional.
- She asks if he'll be able to help if the injection works only half way.
- He shrugs.
- Mimi calls him out for not caring about his patients.
- The doctor says that he could possibly do something.
- Augie infers he can help if he gets paid.
- The doctor says $100.
- Mimi begins to sob.
- The doctor reminds them that he's waiting.
- She takes the shot, paying the $15 for it.
- It doesn't seem to work, but it gives her a lot of pain.
- Kayo Obermark, who has the room between them, inquires. Augie goes out to him to chat, but Mimi soon calls him back in, telling him to keep her secret.
- Kayo already knows, however, so Augie later asks him to keep an ear out for Mimi the next day.
- When Augie sees her next, she has a plan.
- She could claim mental instability, which would allow her to get an illegal abortion, but that could go too far in her estimation. Abortion is also legal if there is a risk to her life. She'd gone to the clinic and they suspected her of having a tubal pregnancy, so it looks like she can proceed with an abortion if a follow-up examination shows a need.
- A few days later Augie gets a call from Mimi. She's in the hospital.
- Simon reproaches Augie for messing around with too many women.
- Mimi tells Augie that everything is normal with the baby. It's not a tubal pregnancy.
- She's not happy and doesn't want to stay in the hospital with the nursing staff pleased about her having a baby.
- Augie goes out to steal some book to make some money so they can pay the secret abortionist.
- He's caught in the act by Jimmy Klein, who's the store clerk.
- Fortunately, Jimmy isn't going to make life difficult for him.
- They meet to talk and catch up. Jimmy's unhappily married with a kid.
- Jimmy offers to lend Augie the fifty bucks.
- Augie makes an appointment with the doctor. It's on the same night he has a date with Lucy. He can't break the date because he needs the car, so he tells Lucy that he'll be a little late.
- She's upset, not at the delay, but because she damaged her own car.
- She tells him not to forget about New Year's Eve with her family.
- Augie picks up Mimi from the doctor. She looks weak and unwell.
- As he's escorting Mimi to the car, they're approached by Kelly Weintraub, the Magnus's cousin by marriage, who recognizes Augie. He's the doctor's cousin.
- Augie knows the Magnus's will soon know what he's done.
- He tells Mimi not to worry about it.
- All he cares about is getting her home.
- Back at the student house, Augie gets her into bed and gets her some ice. She's bleeding still and soaks the bed. She refuses Augie's suggestion that they go to the hospital.
- She asks for whisky.
- She takes a slug; he drinks the rest.
- In the morning, Augie rises earlier than normal, his mind on Kelly and the impending doom to his chances with the Lucy Magnus.
- He goes to work. Simon eyes him repeatedly and lectures him on his life choices.
- Back at home, Augie comes upon Kayo bringing a wet towel for Mimi's head. She's not doing well.
- Augie calls Padilla for his medical knowledge. He brings some pills for her fever.
- Lucy calls asking Augie to come an hour earlier.
- Augie and Padilla help Mimi to the car. Simon approaches. He's heard the news. The Magnuses know. They all assume that Augie had sex with Mimi and got her pregnant.
- Augie says he'll explain later, but Simon is through with him.
- They drive to the hospital.
- The staff won't admit Mimi, telling her to go home and wait for the undertaker.
- Padilla suggests a friend of his at another hospital.
- He phones him. They go there.
- Frantic, Augie grabs an orderly.
- Padilla tells him to calm down.
- Mimi and Augie wait while Padilla goes to look for his friend. There's a cop in the lobby. The doctor and cop question him.
- Padilla returns with his friend. As they leave the lobby, Padilla tells the doctor a story about her doing the abortion herself.
- He also advises Augie to go to his thing. Mimi's not in bad shape and he can stay with her.
- The doctor tells him to ask for Castleman in order to get back into the hospital.
- Augie goes to pick up Lucy to take her to the ball. He knows he's out with the family, but is banking on the hope that Lucy still loves him.
- No luck. She won't see him again. Her parents and there with her and tell Augie that he's not right for her.
- Augie drives back to the hospital.
- Padilla has given Mimi blood. Augie gives him cab fare.
- Castleman directs Augie to the maternity ward, where Mimi is resting, and tells him he can visit her but that he needs to stay out of sight.
- She awakens in the morning and asks Augie why he there. He says he has no place special to go.
- While she sleeps, he wanders through the ward, looking at newborns and women in labor.
- After encountering a nurse, Augie checks again on Mimi and then leaves the hospital.
- He gets a flat tire on his drive home and, being near the Colbin's residence, he goes to them for help.
- Anna welcomes him into their home and gives him coffee to drink. She talks about her daughter Friedl and how beautiful she's become, implying that she'd make a good match for Augie.
- She says she wants to see her child with a husband and with children.