The chapter opens with a frisk of the Districts old house. The crows have been scavenging in the trash and dirty, and the residents put out a notice a few days ago that there is a "world of difference" between the manor they came from and the one they live in. The narrator feels ashamed that he did not want to see the "shabby life of mine" . He tells the clank to come in and smell the "combustion" of the place. He says that he will make his daughter happy and promises to make her happy. He also says that even though she does not look down on him, he can tell that she has "bad posture" and " flinches" when she speaks. He adds that he is glad he could convey his thoughts to her directly.