Meeting Hobie

Theo travels to West Tenth Street and finds the shop of Hobart and Blackwell. It is closed, but he discovers a side door with a green bell. He rings it and is met by James Hobart, a large, gentle man in a paisley robe. Theo shows him Welty's ring, and Hobie, recognizing it, invites him in. He tells Theo that Welty was his business partner and that he has died. Theo learns that Pippa, the girl from the museum, is alive but badly injured. A deep, immediate bond forms between Theo and Hobie, a connection forged by shared loss and Welty's final act.