Tender is the Night Book One, Chapter Twenty-Four Summary

  • Dick is on the move. First he drops a note for Maria Wallis at the police department – it’s "signed Nicole" which is how Dick and Nicole used to sign their letters.
  • He runs other errands, stops to drink for coffee and gin, and then takes a cab in the rain (around 4pm).
  • Rosemary is in a reckless mood, and is considering her life.
  • She’s dressed and watching the rain dreamily when Dick knocks at her door.
  • Dick looks strong and unbreakable to her; he is a little let down to see her, feeling heavy and pained.
  • He asks her to sit on his lap and they kiss – he finds her so beautiful, and this leads him to think of his "responsibility" to Nicole, who is just a few rooms down from them.
  • A knock on the door scares them and Dick speaks loudly as if they were just making plans for their last evening in Paris.
  • They open the door and it is Abe and Jules Peterson. Abe wants advice on how to help Peterson, who is in trouble on account of Abe. So they all go to the Divers' suite.
  • Apparently, Abe hadn’t really been robbed – a waiter had taken a bill from him to pay for drinks.
  • Abe complained, with Peterson as a witness, and misidentified one black man, who wasn’t even there when they event took place. He was the black owner of the place, Freeman. Now the other black guys are after Peterson, and he wants Abe to protect him.
  • Abe had promised money to Peterson to help him in business.
  • Dick tells Abe to go home, and that Peterson can visit him when he’s rested. Peterson leaves the room.
  • Abe wants help for Peterson now, but Dick tells him to split.
  • So he says a drunken goodbye to Rosemary, and asks if he can come back later. Dick says Abe will have to play anagrams with him if he comes back. So Abe decides not to.
  • He’s happy that Peterson isn’t there waiting for him.