This chapter's epigraph comes from a conversation between the two men. The elder man says that he wishes he could keep the children by his side and keep an eye on them all his life. He says that it's sad to watch the children die, but that they're lovable and adorable. He also says that one can never stop liking something, and that there are always two or three that one hopes never dies. He asks the younger man if he thinks his father would accept the idea of keeping the children in his care. The younger man replies that he'd be okay with it, but he's not sure if he would accept it if it meant that he would have to give up some of his own life to keep them safe.