Rules of Civility

On the same day she quits her job at Quiggin & Hale, Katey meets Nathaniel Parish, a literary figure who is well known but past his prime. He is senior fiction editor at Pembroke Press where he specializes in Russian literature, which he loves with something akin to religious zeal. His archnemesis is Martin Durk, a younger man who touts the death of the novel. Katey, with a copy of a Russian play in hand, asks Nathaniel if he’s Martin Durk. Nathaniel takes offense, and then apologizes. When Katey “accidentally” drops the play, Nathaniel picks it up. He’s impressed that she reads Russian and likes the play. She tells him that she’s supposed to meet Martin about a job. In short order, Katey secures herself a job as Nathaniel’s secretary.

Nathaniel tells Katey that Pembroke is about 40 years behind the times and there won’t be enough work for her. Katey eventually tries coordinating his correspondence, which is in boxes everywhere. Though she accepted the job, she soon realizes after receiving her first paycheck that she’s now making half of what she made at Quiggin & Hale. When one of the other girls, Susie Vanderwhile, asks her if she’d like to go out for drinks, she accepts, imagining that drinking her money away is a worthy start toward penury.