The chapter opens with a description of the life of a young man who had fallen in love with a woman and was forced to sell her for a large sum of money before he could marry her. The young man was caught in the crossfire of a love triangle between himself, the woman he loved, and the mistress he loved. He had to pay the mistress and her lover back for the money they had given him, but he had no choice but to sell the woman for a profit. The mistress had been happy during their time together, he says, but now he is approaching her again. He tells her that he has racked up a lot of debt, and that he cannot redeem himself once he gets involved in illegal gambling