Ghali tells Diana that he has been thinking of her since the next day is N.S. day and Diana must be in a state. He goes on to talk to her about a short story she wrote him. He says it is too refined for his liking, but that is because she has always been a proper writer, which he never believed himself to be. He makes the comparison that her writing moves toward Guy de Maupassant's while he attempts to move to who he believes is the greatest writer ever, Anton Chekhov. He was fired from his British Army job before it even started for unknown reasons, and is now working a 'horrible' labor job, but plans to write more now. He also has sent money to Rowohlt to regain publishing rights to his book. Ghali hopes that Diana will stay in good spirits despite the impending literary reviews for her book.