Book 6: Chapter 14 Summary

Stephen at length rolls himself up in a piece of tarp and lies down on the floor near Maggie and sleeps. Maggie wakes and is now in control of herself, and she knows that she must go home. She knows that she has already hurt Lucy and Philip, but she can't go through with an elopement. Stephen pleads but without success. She refuses to do what she knows is not right even though her return will be painful not only to her but to others. She leaves him and catches a coach to go home. She encounters many obstacles, and it takes her five days to get there.

Book 6: Chapter 14 Analysis

There seems no end to the difficulties. She hasn't just been gone overnight; she has been gone five days-plenty of time for the scandal to come to full blaze back...