In her ninth letter, Aunt Peg directs Ginny to travel to Amsterdam. Peg describes feeling the need to see a friendly face after living in the Paris cafe for a month. So, she went to Amsterdam to see a friend of hers, Charlie, who lives in a canal house in Amsterdam. She wants Ginny to go meet Charlie.

Aunt Peg asks Ginny to go to the Rijksmuseum while she’s in Amsterdam, specifically to see Rembrandt’s painting The Night Watch. Peg tells Ginny to look for someone named Piet at the museum and ask him about the painting.

It is raining when Ginny arrives in Amsterdam. The rain, combined with the many small bridges and canals that make up the city, makes her associate Amsterdam with dampness.

With the help of a map, she finds Charlie’s address easily. When Ginny arrives, however, Charlie is no longer living at the address.

Ginny is frustrated by this set-back and struggles with a feeling of defeat. Not knowing where else to go, Ginny looks for a hostel to stay the night. The first few that she tries are full, and she ends up at a hostel called The Apple. The door to her bunk room has no lock, and the room smells strongly of mildew.