The chapter opens with a conversation between a boy and a girl, who have just returned from a school lesson. The boy asks the girl if she would like to go to the "eco-nomics club" with him. The girl replies that she would, but that she doesn't want to go because it's too noisy. She says that she'd rather stay home and play with her dog than go to a club where she'll have to deal with other people who are more interested in their own interests than in hers.