Summary

1923 part 7

When Olivia tells Douglas about a visit at the palace because of sick Harry she decides that from that point on Douglas knows about her visits at the palace. So the two do not meet often: Douglas comes home late and goes straight to bed and gets up early. One day Olivia is awake and sits with him in the breakfast room. She notices that his face became heavier and says that she wants to ask Dr. Saunders to have a look at Harry. After a short quarrel she also mentions that she wants to ask him also why she is not getting pregnant but Douglas wants her to wait. He also wants to have a few free days to go with her to Simla. Before being picked up for the palace she walks over to the Saunders but Dr. Saunders had already left. Mrs. Saunders is out of bed but just because she is afraid of the servant’s bad thoughts. At the palace the Nawab is amused because of Olivia’s idea to bring Dr. Saunders in. Anyway, he sends a car and the doctor arrives and the Nawab plays his game of showing absolutely exaggerated interest while Dr. Saunders just talks on and on. When this game begins to bore Olivia and Harry the Nawab leaves the room with them and pays the doctor by his servants. The Nawab says that all the British are the same and so Olivia is shocked and sad. But the Nawab calms her down and talks about his dream in which Mrs. Crawford appeared as a hijra.

Journal 20 June

The narrator invites Inder Lal to a picnic at the Baba Firdaus shrine. Because of the heat before the monsoon and the awful journey to the shrine the place seems to be the Paradise. While the narrator inspects the surrounding and wonders about the contrary Husband’s Wedding Day Inder Lal lays down under a tree. After that they eat their sandwiches which is a new thing for Inder Lal. He shows her the custom to tie a red string to the lattice in the shrine to fulfil a wish. He wants to know the narrators wish but is depressed when she knows his wish at first go. When the