Part 3 Chapter 21 Summary

The Collector's illness continues, and his children are terrified that he will die. The rains arrive, and the sepoys build shelters to wait out the rainy season. Members of the besieged community discuss making an escape. The plan is rejected since it would be too dangerous and there is nowhere they could go. Five days pass, and Miriam watches over the Collector, losing track of night and day. At one point, she is called to help Dr. McNab with an amputation. Miriam suffers from discomfort brought on by the heat, mosquitoes and lack of personal hygiene. Finally, the Collector begins to recover. He notices that outside everything is lush and green. Inside, all of his leather goods and articles of clothing, such as his boots, are covered in mold, and his notepaper is unusable because of the moisture. He tells Miriam...