Following their visit with Jefferson, Rev. Ambrose, Tante Lou, and Miss Emma return to the quarter. Grant heads for the Rainbow Club, anxious to meet Vivian and tell her about his breakthrough with Jefferson. While waiting for Vivian, he hears two mulatto bricklayers talking loudly. When he realizes that they are talking about Jefferson, he resolves to ignore their crass comments, finish his drink, and walk out. Instead, he allows himself to get caught up in their trap and ends up in a barroom brawl, which stops abruptly when Claiborne knocks him out cold after Grant ignores his repeated pleas to stop fighting. When he comes to, Vivian is standing over him and convinces him to go home with her.
When Vivian chastises him for his behavior, Grant insists that he "just couldn't help it," but Vivian points out that he had a choice: He could simply have walked out. After surveying his bruises, Vivian insists that Grant spend the night, but he objects, pointing out that his presence could cause her trouble with her job and with her estranged husband. Pointing out that she's already in trouble, Vivian calmly continues preparing their dinner. As she works, she tells Grant about her recent communication with her husband, and Grant tells her about his visit with Jefferson. Realizing that she is still angry with him, he tries to sweet-talk her. When this tactic fails, he announces that he is leaving. This time Vivian doesn't try to stop him; instead, she explodes, arguing that if he loved her, he would be considerate of her feelings and not endanger his life with reckless behavior. Grant heads for the door, but as he looks out into the darkness, he realizes that running away is not the answer and returns to beg Vivian's forgiveness.
