In this chapter, we are introduced to a number of characters who have been introduced to us through the course of the novel. The first is a young woman who has just returned from a trip to China, and she is introduced to her lover, Mr. Liu. She is introduced as a "friend" and a "co-worker" , and we are told that she is a "companion" . We are also told that the two of them have been friends for a long time, and that Mr. and Mrs. Liu have been married for many years.