Part III: Chapters Thirty-Seven through Forty-Three Summary

In chapter thirty-seven, "Washing the Corpse," Opal and the young slave from Stratford Plantation, Franky, are washing the corpse of Uther Botkin. Sallie writes that she is unable to return home and Opal wants to remain at the Botkin place but is told to return to the Stratford Plantation. In chapter thirty-seven, "Letter from Lieutenant Catesby Byrd to his Wife, Leona," Catesby says that he's "renounced his previous sinful ways" and has become a Christian. He urges Leona to keep an eye on Thomas, remembering that the temptations on a young man can be serious at his age. Catesby says that he's given up gambling and now doesn't understand why it had been so important to him.

In chapter thirty-nine, "Love in the Rebel Capital," the girl again talks to Marguerite Omohundru about...