- Augie comes home to realize that his flat is no longer his. His mother is gone and Simon, it seems, has sold their place to another family.
- His mother has moved downstairs with the Kreindls.
- Augie goes to his mother. He learns from her that Granda Lausch has died.
- Wanting immediate answers to the changes he come home to, Augie questions Mrs. Kreindel, but she doesn't know why Simon sold the flat.
- He asks his mom if she has any money. She has only 50 cents. He tells her to keep it, not wanting to scare her.
- She asks him if he has a job. He answers that he always has something and not to worry.
- He leaves and heads toward Einhorn's.
- On the street he's greeted by Coblin and Five Properties.
- Five Properties is getting married and invites Augie, telling him to bring a girl.
- Coblin invites Augie to a Seder dinner, but still smelling of jail and having other business on his mind, Augie respectfully declines.
- Augie meets with Einhorn alone. He knows about the business with Gorman.
- Einhorn lectures him on his brainlessness, riding in a hot car.
- He asks Augie why he had to bum rides all the way home when he had given Simon money to wire Augie in Buffalo.
- Oops. Seems Simon kept the money for himself. And Einhorn has already given him a personal loan!
- Augie's miffed, you can be sure.
- Einhorn tells him that Simon got involved with Nosey Mutchnik, bet on a game, lost, and got beaten up after being hotheaded. He's no longer engaged.
- Turns out Simon's fiancée is getting married to…Five Properties!
- Simon apparently caused a scene and got himself arrested.
- He was released the next day.
- Einhorn advises Augie to take advantage of his brother's failures—use them against him.
- Augie bawls.
- Einhorn is shocked at his reaction.
- He lets him stay the night.
- The next day Augie confronts Kreindl about making a match for Five Properties with Simon's former girlfriend.
- As his mother can't stay with them long term, Augie sets out to find a home for her.
- When Augie tells this to Simon, he breaks the news with the caveat that it's only temporary so he won't feel that they're getting rid of everybody (Georgie, Grandma, Mama).
- They get a place for Mama at a home for the blind. It comes to $15 per month. Augie pawns some items to help pay for it.
- Augie takes a job with a luxury dog service Einhorn helps him to get through one of his contacts.
- The business chief is a Frenchman who's a little too happy with the hypodermic needle.
- Augie has to come up with creative lies as to why the dogs he's returning are sound asleep.
- He finds the job tiring and dislikes smelling of dog. Plus, the business places him constantly among wealthier people and his longing for Esther increased.
- One day Augie runs into an old college buddy named Manny Padilla, who's bummed that Augie has such a lousy job.
- Padilla counsels Augie to distinguish himself in whatever he's good at so people will know where to place him.
- Skeptical, Augie says he doesn't have the money to return to college.
- Padilla says his scholarship doesn't cover all the costs, so he's involved in a racket swapping books.
- Augie is surprised that Padilla is stealing books and selling them, but apparently the racket is paying off.
- With a careful technique, Padilla has escaped suspicion. He goes in with an old book of his, puts it down over the one he wants to steal, then picks up both after browsing. If he gets caught, he claims he accidentally picked up both books.
- After their chat, Augie hangs with Padilla, and they share a couple "Negro girls" Padilla knows.
- Padilla confesses to the other three that he has a wife and child back in Mexico. One of the women says she also has a child.
- Once broke—Padilla spends all he has—the two dine at Padilla's flat.
- He has a quiz in the morning, so he wants to go to sleep.
- Augie asks him if he's ready. Padilla says either the stuff comes easy or it doesn't come at all.
- Augie takes this statement to heart and decides to give book stealing a try.
- He does jump around, doesn't he?
- Well, Augie likes to read, so he spends a lot of his time delving into the tomes he nabbed.
- Sometimes he doesn't give a book to a customer who ordered it.
- Simon calls Augie asking to meet with him, in part to repay him some money he borrowed.
- This pleases Augie. He can't take Einhorn's advice to hold a grudge.
- Simon admits to having been close to suicide in prison, but now he's got a plan that could turn his life around. He's in talks to get married to a rich woman he's never met.
- Augie is aghast, but Simon explains that he'll use the wealth to make even more money. He'll put their investment, so to speak, to good use.
- Her name is Charlotte Magnus.
- Simon says (no pun intended) that he'll get Augie fixed up with a wealthy bride as well.
- In the meantime, Simon needs Augie's help. The Magnuses are family-minded people, and so he needs to impress them with his own family.
- This could be interesting. Stay tuned!