Tender is the Night Book Two, Chapter Seven Summary

  • They decide Dick will break it to her gently. It’s raining but Dick goes to find her. She wants to go outside the clinic now that she’s better. She doesn’t want to be around the others.
  • She tells him that her 24-year old sister, Beth, who is called Baby, will take her for a short trip and then she’ll come back to the clinic for a month.
  • Dick looks at her and thinks she will be beautiful when she’s old. She leads him to a covered shed because she wants to know him better even though she’s afraid of him.
  • He explains that he’ll be working very hard and starts telling her how she will have a normal happy life.
  • She understands that this is the brush off and it tears her apart. She says they should go back. Dick feels how sad she is and loves her.
  • Dick planned to more fully break things off after the evening meal, but got a note saying she was going to lie down and eat in her room. So Dick leaves the clinic.
  • When he doesn’t hear from her the next day, he calls the clinic, afraid she’s sick – but she seems to be functioning well. Dick is a little hurt she’s not more upset. According to Franz, she understands the situation.