The Foundling

Mary writes a letter to Jake apologizing for not being able to meet him. She has been busy with Dr. Vogel. She notices that Dr. Vogel consumes a lot of wine, which she says is from her father’s pre-prohibition cellar. Mary also discovers that the maids, whom she thought only spoke French, speak perfect English. Dr. Vogel speaks to them in French as an act of sophistication.

Mary spends much of her reading in Dr. Vogel’s vast library. She reads about the Kallikak family, whom Jake has referenced several times. Kallikak was a man who had sex with a “feebleminded” barmaid and whose children with her were institutionalized in prisons and psychiatric hospitals. However, the children he had with his wife all went on to be ministers, doctors, and lawyers. The book is supposed to be evidence of “feebleminded” women passing on their traits.

Since moving in with Dr. Vogel, Mary struggles to socialize with anyone because they believe that she is a spy for Dr. Vogel. She pretends not to worry about everyone’s shifting attitudes towards her. She also worries that she still has not heard from Mother Beatrice.

On Wednesdays, Mary eats with Dr. Vogel, who talks about her family’s history.