In this set of chapters, Henry’s growing awareness of his age and his own mortality dramatically affects his lifelong dance with The Pain of Repression and Self-Denial. He finds that he and the cities he loves have both changed, and this realization destabilizes him because he no longer feels as comfortable in the very places that helped him to embrace his own cosmopolitan view of the world. Italy in particular strikes him as an altered place, and that realization helps him to understand the changes that he himself has undergone during the decades since he lived there. Notably, everything that happens to Henry is cause for self-reflection, and the stream-of-consciousness that characterizes the previous set of chapters returns here in the novel’s final moments. Once again, Tóibín uses this form of inner monologue to explore Henry as a character and to pay homage to the historical figure of Henry James. 

This set of chapters further engages with The Pain of Repression and Self-Denial through its depiction of Henry’s friendship with the sculptor Henrik Andersen. Andersen is depicted as a physically imposing, attractive man, and these pointed physical descriptions are meant to highlight Henry’s attraction. Notably, Henry describes other characters via their personality traits, beliefs, and values, not their physical characteristics. As Henry indicates his surprise at “Andersen’s strength, at the size of his hands” (272), his sudden interest in Andersen’s physical form makes his unspoken attraction very plain. Like Hammond and Holmes before him, Andersen is a man to whom Henry feels drawn, acting on a dual desire for friendship and romance. The two share an embrace that is likely platonic for Andersen, but for Henry, this moment represents a fleeting glimpse of the elusive intimacy that he has longed for all his life. Forced to endure yet another moment of unrequited love, Henry once again represses his feelings and does his best to appear uninterested in the object of his desire, and it is clear that his culture’s deeply anti-gay biases have robbed him of a form of joy that is readily available to those whose attractions align with mainstream social demands. 

The narrative shifts gears with the visit from Henry’s brother William, William’s wife Alice, and their daughter Peggy, as these complex interactions display the fraught family dynamics that have festered over the years. However, the interlude also offers a bittersweet form of resolution, for as Henry contemplates the differences between himself and his decisive, socially popular brother, he recalls their past moments of conflict and finally begins to discern their shared beliefs and values. He appreciates William’s cosmopolitan approach to life, which mirrors his own, and he also bonds with his niece Peggy over their shared love of literature. With these gestures, he shows that his family members share key sources of solidarity that can prevent them from further damaging their long-held bonds. During William’s visit, Henry also remembers his sister Alice and once again uses his contemplations of death and loss to celebrate his commonalities with Alice, who was a kindred spirit to him during her lifetime. In his own introspective way, Henry now appreciates more of their commonalities than he did when Alice was still living. 

With the arrival of Lady Wolseley, Henry realizes a newfound openness to engaging in a social life despite his fondness for The Lure of Solitude. Lady Wolseley is a complex character who has demonstrated both kindness and hostility toward Henry during their years of friendship. Notably, Henry has refrained from judging her for her moments of bad behavior, thereby demonstrating his commitment to seeing the good in people and treating everyone with respect and decency. She brings Hammond with her on this visit, and at this unexpected reunion, Henry revisits his earlier longing and relishes the opportunity to reunite with his old friend. Again, the author does not clarify whether Lady Wolseley is aware of Henry’s attraction to men, but because she has twice brought Hammond into contact with Henry, her actions can be read as a tacit acceptance of Henry’s sexuality. Because she knows that he cannot consummate a romantic relationship with another man, she helps to provide stolen moments of romantically tinged friendship, which are all that Henry can hope to enjoy on this front. By giving Henry the opportunity to connect with Hammond, she does them both a great kindness.