Harriet Sloane, who considered herself not pretty, pondered the relationship between her attractive neighbors, Calvin and Elizabeth, suspecting their attraction was more profound than just appearances.
Harriet's marriage to Mr. Sloane, who overlooked her physical traits and whom she later found repulsive and stupid, was unexciting and lacked mutual love.
Mr. Sloane overtly lusted after Elizabeth, making lewd comments and masturbating to girlie magazines, worsening their marriage with his undeserved self-confidence.
Harriet recognized Mr. Sloane's ugliness stemmed from his unpleasant inner traits and vowed not to adopt his judgmental attitude, especially after his objectification of Elizabeth and his death.
Harriet silently wished for Elizabeth to contact her for support, reflecting a change in her attitude towards her former judgments.
Elizabeth hesitated to call Harriet but acknowledged her need for guidance after becoming a single mother to a daughter named Mad.
Elizabeth felt irrational anger towards the deceased Calvin, which inadvertently led to her baby being named "Mad Zott" on the birth certificate.
Elizabeth struggled to find a fitting name for her daughter but none seemed suitable until Six-Thirty, the dog, inspired the name "Madeline" from Proust's book.
Changing the baby's name officially required a bureaucratic process that Elizabeth decided to avoid, secretly agreeing to call her Madeline despite "Mad" being the legal name.
Mad showed distaste for certain visitors, leading Elizabeth to worry about her own personal character and how Mad would judge her in the future.
Elizabeth viewed Harriet as a source of real wisdom, akin to a "practical priest," prompting her to finally initiate contact.
At the end of the chapter, Elizabeth calls Harriet, who hastily agrees to come over, hinting at the beginnings of a supportive relationship.