Part 4, Chapter 8 Summary

The creamery has declared the milk from Lahardane's cows to be infected. They are forced to slaughter all but eight of their herd. Even these eight, however, are too much for the now aged Henry and Everand to tend. Upon Henry's suggestion, they decide to keep only three, effectively ending Henry's career. Ralph writes Lucy, explaining that it is no one's fault that things have turned out as they did. Lucy does not write back. Lucy is remorseful of how she treated her father when he first came back, and now she attentively asks him about the time he lived with Heloise in Montemarmoreo. One day in November, Everand and Lucy decide to tend the family graves. Everand notes that once they are gone, there will be no one to do it anymore. They talk more about the time they were...