Chapters 20–23 Summary
Chapter 20
Indiana now feels that both Delmare and Ralph dominate her, and she “would have drowned herself at once” were it not for the promise of escape with Raymon. Delmare is putting his affairs in order, expecting Indiana to join him soon on his journey to Bourbon Island. Madame de Carvajal listens to Indiana’s complaints and agrees that Indiana should not risk the voyage in her current state. She tells Delmare that Indiana may stay with her and that she will give the Delmares her inheritance in return. Delmare, however, refuses, but the marchioness continues to encourage her niece’s resistance. She now knows of Indiana’s passion for Raymon and has told others about it.
Raymon is now very bored by the whole affair. One morning, he comes home to find Indiana in his room; she has been there waiting for him in the cold for five hours. Raymon says she has been imprudent, because his servants know she is here. But Indiana says Delmare intends to leave for the colonies in three days and that last night she protested and was locked in her room. Ralph is at Bellrive. She asks Raymon to protect and hide her until Delmare leaves without her. Raymon says that she is insane and that he will not accept her sacrifices and dishonor her. Indiana tells him that by coming here, she is already dishonored in public opinion, so Raymon may as well accept her. Raymon turns the tables by saying that he will, in that case, accept her as his mistress. He kisses her, but the hour has grown late; it is now seven o’clock. He tells her she must leave and promises her that she is not yet ruined. Nobody has yet noticed she has gone; everyone will assume she has spent the night with her aunt.
Indiana suddenly goes into a sort of paralyzed stupor and Raymon, afraid, sits her in a chair, locks her in, and goes up to his mother’s room.
Chapter 21
Raymon’s mother is awake when he enters the room. When she asks how she can help, Raymon says that he loves Indiana and that she is in his room now against his will. Raymon’s mother says that she will come down, talk to her, and urge her to leave.
Raymon’s mother goes down and finds Indiana looking dignified; when the pair embrace, however, Indiana begins to cry. She says she will go but that she cannot be comforted. She refuses the offer of a chaperone or a cab, and says she will go home alone.
Indiana walks along the river and eventually falls into an almost trancelike state. Ralph finds her there; she asks, confused, whether he has seen Noun. Ralph carries her to a house of refuge and sends a message to Delmare to say that Indiana has been found. Ralph’s dog, Ophelia, had tracked Indiana, although Ralph first went to Raymon’s house to look for her.
Ralph asks Indiana to swear never to attempt suicide again. Indiana argues that she had been simply unaware of what she was doing. Once at the Delmare house, Ralph carries Indiana up to her room. When the Colonel returns, he is furious. He demands to know where Indiana was; Indiana says she will not tell him. However, she says she no longer wants a separation. Her escape via the window proved to them both that he cannot really control her.
Chapter 22
Raymon’s mother meets with Indiana’s aunt, Madame de Carvajal, and is shocked that Carvajal intends never to speak to her niece again. Raymon’s mother is more...
(This entire section contains 1046 words.)
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compassionate and tries to send for word of Indiana.
Ralph comes to see Raymon’s mother and asks what happened. She tells him that although Indiana spent the night in the house, Raymon was not there. When Ralph comments that Indiana therefore must have wanted to be dishonored, Raymon’s mother assumes that he, too, judges her pitilessly. But Ralph replies that this is not the case: he has known for many months what has been going on and has tried only to save Indiana’s honor. He promises that he will always remain Indiana’s friend.
Meanwhile, Raymon is distressed and languishing; he feels he is free again but also wants to regain Indiana’s esteem. He does not want her to be able to say that she left him; rather, he wants ownership of the situation. He writes to her to say he believes her to be an angel of whom he himself is unworthy and asks for her forgiveness. He takes this letter himself to the house, but Indiana will not see Raymon. When she receives the letter, she puts it away, to open only when she reaches Bourbon Island.
Just as the Delmares are about to leave, Ralph asks whether he can come with them to Bordeaux. He asks whether the couple have lost their good feelings towards him. The Colonel is moved and swears that he still feels love towards Ralph. Indiana also confesses that she still loves Ralph, and the pair embrace. Delmare says that he does not want Ralph to come with them only because he wants Ralph to find another wife and be happy.
Six weeks later, however, Ralph appears at the last moment and boards the ship with the couple. He tells Indiana that he will never desert her.
Chapter 23
Indiana writes to Raymon from Bourbon Island. She asks Raymon’s forgiveness, saying she once thought him a monster and now no longer thinks so. She neither regrets Raymon nor hates him. Rather, she hopes Raymon will forget her. In the course of events, she has come to realize that Raymon simply did not love her; she never thought that Raymon would reject her sacrifice to him. She is ultimately glad that Raymon saw the danger when it came and recognized that Indiana would be a burden to him. She wishes Raymon had made it clear earlier that this is what the outcome would be. But as it is, she asks him to be happy.
Indiana feels very dignified, having written this letter. However, she also still feels wounded by her dealings with Raymon.
