Isabel and her mother arrive in Paris 18 months later. Elliott tells them that Larry has refused every invitation Elliott has extended to him. No one knows exactly where Larry lives, as his only address is an American Express office. Isabel agrees that if Larry won’t come home and get a job, she will have no choice but to break their engagement. When Isabel asks Larry when he is coming back to Chicago, he replies that he can’t give up his quest yet. He sees himself on the threshold of what he is searching for. He wants to know if God exists and, if so, why he allows evil; and whether people have immortal souls or if, when they die, they are just gone. Isabel is embarrassed by his ideas. She tells him that he is missing out on the greatest adventure the world has ever known—the rise of America. She suggests he has an obligation to do his part to advance American progress. Moreover, she says, men must work. It’s a matter of self-respect.

Larry wants Isabel to marry him right away. He says they will go to Greece on their honeymoon and live happily on his $3000 a year (approximately $65,000 in 2020).