- It’s September now, and cooler, and things are going badly at the Italian front. Ettore is back at the front, and Crowley is en route to the U.S.
- A British major tells Frederic that "one hundred and fifty thousand men" in the Italian army had been lost in recent battles. He and the major drink and talk about the sorry state of the war.
- Frederic goes to the barber, and then buys a paper "silhouette" from some artisans as a gift for Catherine. His leg is much better.
- Back at the hospital, the papers giving him his orders are waiting. He has three weeks of "convalescent leave" left, and then must to go back to the front.
- He tells Catherine about his papers, and she says they can go away together during the three weeks.
- She doesn’t seem well, and he makes her tell him what’s wrong. She tells him that she is three months pregnant, and expresses her worry that he will worry. He says that he isn’t worried.
- She’s very worried, and tells him again that they are one, and that she wants them not to fight.
- He says they won’t fight. They talk more and have some brandy.
- Catherine leaves to tend to her patients, and promises to come back.