2
In Halifax, Edwin finds a boardinghouse by the port, where he secures a corner room on the second floor, overlooking the harbor. He wakes up to a lively scene outside his window, with a merchant ship arriving and hearing the jovial curses of the men unloading barrels and sacks. He spends the day gazing out the window, lost in thought, struggling with inertia. Despite his plans to leave, he finds himself lingering, seduced by the harbor's constant movement and the novelty of people-watching.
He begins to frequent the harbor, taking morning and afternoon walks, and exploring the shops and cafes. He likes to ride the electric streetcar to the end of the line and back, watching the shift from small houses to larger ones downtown. He buys pointless items, like bread, postcards, and flowers, and finds himself thinking that this could be a life: no family, no job, just simple pleasures and clean sheets to fall into at night, with a regular allowance from home. A life of solitude could be pleasant.
He starts buying flowers daily, placing them on his dresser in a cheap vase, and spends hours gazing at them, imagining he could be an artist, to draw them and appreciate their beauty. He learns to draw flowers and vases with Mrs. Donnelly's friend, Laetitia Russell, a painter who lives in a tidy wooden house with three children and a widowed sister.
Then, Reginald arrives, a fellow old Etonian, two years older, with immediate plans to head west. He introduces himself, and they discuss their shared desire to establish themselves as gentleman farmers. Edwin is intrigued and invites himself along on Reginald's journey, and they set off by train, watching the forests, lakes, and small towns pass by.
However, Edwin soon feels uneasy, stuck in the vast prairies, with too much of the same endless landscape. He wonders what they're getting themselves into and what the work of farming entails. They arrive at Reginald's newly purchased farmhouse, where they face a daunting sight: endless mud, fields, and another farmhouse far away. Edwin feels exposed and uncertain about their future.
