Summary: Chapter XV
Aziz, Adela, and the guide climb up toward other caves
higher in the hills. Aziz’s mind is preoccupied with breakfast preparations.
Adela is also distracted, as she suddenly realizes that she and
Ronny are not in love. Adela asks Aziz if he is married and if he
has more than one wife. The second question shocks Aziz, and he
ducks into a cave to recover. Adela follows shortly and enters another
cave.
Summary: Chapter XVI
Aziz exits the cave to find the guide alone. The two men
hear the sound of a motorcar. Aziz looks for Adela, and the guide
explains that she went into one of the caves. Aziz scolds the guide
for not keeping Adela in sight, and together they shout for her.
In frustration, Aziz slaps the guide, who runs away. Then, with
relief, Aziz notices Adela already down the hills, speaking to a
woman near the motorcar. Aziz notices Adela’s field-glasses lying
broken on the ground. He picks them up and proceeds back to camp,
where he is elated to find that Fielding has arrived in Miss Derek’s
car. Aziz sends a retinue down to escort Miss Derek up to the camp,
but Miss Derek and Adela have already started to drive back to Chandrapore.
Aziz cheerfully accepts this new development, but Fielding senses
that something is wrong with Adela.
Aziz, wanting to avoid the unpleasant memory of Adela’s
question about polygamy, has already refined the facts of their
excursion up the hill. Fielding presses Aziz for details because
he feels the two women have been rude to the Indian. Aziz, barely
realizing he is lying, reassures Fielding that the guide escorted
Adela down to the car.
On the elephant ride back to the train, Fielding figures
that the expedition must have cost Aziz hundreds of rupees. The
group boards the train and rides back to Chandrapore. When they
arrive at the city, Mr. Haq, the inspector of police, boards the
train and arrests Aziz. Aziz panics and attempts to run out another
door, but Fielding stops him. Fielding calms Aziz, reassuring him
that there must be some mistake and that they will straighten it
out together. The two men walk out onto the platform, where Mr.
Turton orders Fielding to remain behind while Aziz goes to prison.
Summary: Chapter XVII
Mr. Turton, looking fanatical and brave, informs Fielding
that Adela has been “insulted”—presumably, sexually assaulted—in one
of the Marabar Caves. Adela herself has lodged the complaint. Fielding
protests that Aziz must be innocent. Turton informs Fielding that
there is to be an informal meeting at the club that night to discuss
the accusations. Turton explains that Adela is quite ill, and he
is furious that Fielding is not as enraged as all the other English are.
As Turton rides back to his bungalow, he looks with self-satisfied
outrage at each Indian he passes.
Summary: Chapter XVIII
Mr. McBryde, superintendent of police, receives Aziz politely
at the jail. McBryde has a theory that Indians have criminal tendencies because
of the climate—thus, the Indians’ behavior is not their fault. Fielding
arrives at McBryde’s to get the details of the case. McBryde explains
that Adela has claimed that Aziz followed her into a cave and made
advances on her. She hit at him with her field-glasses and he broke
the strap. McBryde shows Fielding the broken glasses, which the
police have found on Aziz’s person.
