Keep the Aspidistra Flying

An American journal, The Californian Review, pays Gordon to publish a poem. He vows to give half the money to Julia. With money, Gordon feels better: “It was queer how different you felt with all that money in your pocket. Not opulent, merely, but reassured, revivified, reborn” (154). Gordon insists on treating Ravelston and Rosemary to a meal at a “decent” restaurant and splurges on food and alcohol (155). Both Ravelston and Rosemary try to blunt Gordon’s excess by asking for the cheapest items and trying to get him to walk instead of taking a taxi. However, Gordon still manages to overspend.

Drunk, Gordon tries to force himself on Rosemary. She hits him and leaves. Ravelston reluctantly then takes Gordon to a pub in order to prevent his arrest for public drunkenness. At the pub, Gordon spills his beer over the pants of another patron and chats up two women he dubs “Dora” and “Barbara” while Ravelston looks for a taxi. Ravelston wants to keep Gordon from going away with the women, but he is too polite and ultimately accompanies them. Ravelston pays off “Barbara” without sleeping with her while Gordon passes out in “Dora’s” room.