Mademoiselle Reisz inquires whether Edna longs for Robert, to which Edna admits that she yearns for him greatly and believes that her very existence has lost its luster without him. She talks about him frequently and together with Madame Lebrun, peruses old family photographs, expressing her wish for a current photo of him. When Madame Lebrun shows her a letter from Robert addressed to his mother, Edna experiences jealousy because he wrote to his mother instead of writing to her.

Leonce believes that Edna is longing for Robert, as he had encountered Robert in the city before his departure to Mexico and Edna had questioned him very persistently about Robert. Edna does not find it strange to be so preoccupied with Robert's absence and doesn't give it much thought, nor does she feel the need to express her emotions.

Edna likes to keep her ideas and feelings private. On a previous occasion, she informed Adele that she would not put her own needs aside for the benefit of her kids, but she would be willing to give her life for them. This led to a disagreement between the two women, and Edna felt like they were not on the same page since Adele did not comprehend her point of view.

Despite this, Edna truthfully but briefly responds to Mademoiselle Reisz's inquiry. They then engage in a conversation about the Lebruns, during which Mademoiselle Reisz makes disparaging remarks about both Madame Lebrun and Victor.

Edna becomes disheartened by Mademoiselle Reisz's bitterness and decides to go for a swim, although she had not planned on swimming that day. She spends a long time swimming and feels exhilarated and refreshed in the water. Edna hopes that Mademoiselle Reisz will not wait for her, but to her surprise, she does. Mademoiselle Reisz gives Edna her address in the city and invites her to visit, as they will both be leaving Grand Isle in the next two weeks, with summer coming to an end.