1676, Pages 233 - 248 Summary

It has been ten years since Griet ran away from the Vermeer household. In this time, she married Pieter and gave birth to two sons, Jan and Frans, perhaps named after the two most important men in her life. The chapter opens with Griet standing at the butcher's stall watching as Tanneke approaches. It is the first time they have interacted since Griet ran away, as the Vermeers now shop for their meat from another butcher. In fact, they switched butchers so quickly that they never paid their bill of fifteen guilders to Pieter. Today, Tanneke has come on behalf of Catharina, who has requested to see Griet. Griet is nervous and has no idea what Catharina wants. Griet knows that the family still blames her for the son Catharina lost that day with the palette knife in the studio. Two...