Chapter 19, 20, and 21 Summary

April draws to a close and the heat is oppressive. The European Club is full of bickering and scandal-mongering. Rumors drift into town suggesting that Mr. Lackersteen is entertaining Burmese prostitutes by the dozens. Verrall attends the club nearly every evening for an hour or two but refuses to interact with anyone except Elizabeth, whom he monopolizes. Verrall and Elizabeth go riding together nearly every evening; Elizabeth tells lies about her putatively sporting upbringing which Verrall sees through but ignores. Elizabeth comes to love horses and riding and completely falls for Verrall; the sight of him astride his horse is evocative to her. Verrall loathes books and learning and rarely has anything to say except for banal comments about the weather. Verrall and Elizabeth begin to kiss and pet. Elizabeth nearly forgets Flory.

After setting things to right in his work...