The chapter opens with a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Briggs. Mr. Briggs asks his son if he will go over to his house. He tells him that he has asked his son to stay put so that he won't have to deal with his mother. He says that he is his father's only son and that his mother means a great deal to him, but that he doesn't think he is worthy of being a part of the family. He asks his mother if she is going to defend the family, and she says that she is not going to do so. She says that it is her fault that the family is in such a bad situation. She asks him if he wants to repay her for the respect she gave him by crawling over to her house, and he says that since she has been tugging at his pants, how can he repay her? He tells her that he just came back from a permanent residence and that he does not have the talent to run a business. He also says that his brother has taken a fancy to his headquarters and wants to know what his opinions are.