Chapter 9 Summary

Quentin tells the story of his and Rosa's final visit to the Estate. He finds Henry Sutpen lying in an upstairs room. He has gone there to die. Three months later, Quentin discovers that Rosa has returned to the house with an ambulance, hoping to save Henry, but before they arrive, they see that the house has burned to the ground. Rosa is restrained by the ambulance attendants, and is taken to hospital, where she lapses into a coma and dies.

Quentin recalls a passage from his father's letter. In a piece of frozen earth from the grave, he sees a red worm, which has survived the harsh winter conditions. It emerges that Clytie is responsible for setting the fire. Bon's grandson, Jim Bond, disappears from the area and is never heard of again. Shreve tells Quentin that miscegenation is the future for...