Interim begins as Miriam arrives to spend Christmas with the Brooms, the sisters who were her students at Wordsworth House in Backwater and their aunt. George Thomson dates this as 24 December 1896.
Chapter I. Miriam spends Christmas with the Brooms — Florrie and Grace, the two sisters she first met as pupils at the Perne sisters’ school in Backwater and their aunt, Mrs. Philps.
Chapter II. Miriam spends New Years Eve alone in her room at Mrs. Bailey’s. The next day, she talks with Mrs. Bailey and agrees to tutor Sissie Bailey, the older daughter, in French.
Chapter III. Miriam meets Mr. Bernard Mendizabal, a Spanish Jew and a new boarder. After a tutoring session with Sissie Bailey, Miriam argues with Mendizabal about the concept of a Cosmopolis — a notion he rejects.
Chapter IV. A Saturday evening at Mrs. Bailey’s. Mr. Antoine Bowdoin, one of the new boarders, plays the piano. Miriam looks forward to a visit from her sister Eve. After attending a lecture on Dante, Miriam goes to a restaurant, Donizetti Brothers, where, after initial discomfort, she feels herself at home.
Chapter V. Miriam attends a musical evening hosted by Mr. Bowdoin.
Chapter VI. Miriam visits her sister Eve at the flower shop where she is now working. Miriam reads Ibsen and talks with the Canadian doctors over dinner at Mrs. Bailey’s. Later, Mr. Mendizabal takes her to Ruscino’s, a lively cafe, where he introduces her to a musician friend named Strelinsky.
Chapter VII. Miriam recalls a conversation with Dr. Hurd and a Sunday afternoon concert.
Chapter VIII. We follow Miriam through a hot summer day, from a day of work to a long nighttime walk. Miriam talks with the Canadian doctors and later visits with Mag and Jan. Miriam buys a bicycle, a Wolverhampton Humber. Dr. von Heber recommends she read Oliver Wendell Holmes (Senior)’s novel Elsie Venner.
Chapter IX. Dr. von Heber packs to leave the lodgings. Miriam learns from Mrs. Bailey that Mr. Mendizabal has led von Heber to believe he was carrying on an affair with Miriam.
Chapter X. Miriam talks with Mrs. Bailey about the departure of the Canadians and about Eleanor Dear, whom Mrs. Bailey accuses of being a chronic liar.
Chapter XI. Miriam comes down to breakfast and finds a package from Mr. Rodkin containing a book of poetry.