The maid works in the kitchen; the missus of the house comes in and discusses what to make for lunch. Quickly, the maid begins working on radishes, the other dishes. On Sundays like these, the missus, her husband, and their friends come to drink outside. By afternoon, many people come, and the maid watches them all in their opulence. She tidies up her appearance, brings lunch out to everyone, and keeps to herself, reading at the kitchen table. later, she helps clean and entertains small talk with those passing in. After finishing up with dishes, she went down to the den to grab some books to read up in her bedroom. In her room, however, she finds herself much too hot. Not wanting to read, she tries to write a letter to her family as she looks out the window, but she leaves instead, going to the room of a girl in the family she works for. The girl is looking at all of her nice clothes for a dance at the nearby hotel; she talks, briefly, to the maid about it. Soon enough, the missus comes up, and the maid goes downstairs. She hears chatter from those still hanging around. She thinks about how the missus and her family own an entire island; she fantasizes about being there. She washes glasses, overhearing the lives of others around her. A cousin of the family comes in with a glass, and the maid takes it from him to wash. Briefly, he kisses her in the kitchen and then leaves. She thinks about this moment—and the island.