After the fiasco at the business college, tom decides to play a more important role in his life. He invites a certain gentleman over to the house, and tom tells Laura that he has invited him. The narrator comments that the character of laura might be too close to the real-life kasane. He wonders if she is remaking herself on the inside, even though she is a fictional character. He also wonders if the people in the house are earnestly watching over her, as if they were watching over a flawless stage. His mother is becoming more and more interested in the theater, and he wonders if this is the same thing she is doing. He thinks that laura is not a real person, but a fictional one. She is sad, but she is still hopeful. He says that he cannot get her out of her misery, and that he will kill her.