Section 5 Summary

The descriptive passage at the beginning of this section shows little change since the description in section 4. The sun is still at its highest and the only difference is that the waves are rougher. The section opens with Neville proclaiming that Percival is dead. He died falling off his horse in India. The rest of the section examines the initial reactions of Neville, Bernard and Rhoda when they receive the telegraph with the news of Percival's death.

Neville has taken it hard and he wishes himself dead. While he is traveling on an omnibus, he scoffs at the public clinging onto the transport rails to prevent themselves from falling. The death coincides with the birth of Bernard's first child. As such, his feelings are mixed. Here he looks more into Percival's character more at any other time, but does not contradict the complete...