The Return of the Native Book 5, Chapter 9 Summary

Sights and Sounds Draw the Wanderers Together

• But first, flashback time. Damon has seen Eustacia's signal on the hill and goes to get ready.
• He's excited about their plans and is feeling good about his chance of getting Eustacia to be his mistress.
• So Damon sets off across the heath but instead of meeting Eustacia he meets Clym.
• The two meet by a pond, which has turned into a whirlpool with all the rain.
• The two then hear a splash and see a body floating.
• It's Eustacia!
• The two guys jump into the floodwater to save her.
• Diggory has also arrived and hops in the pool, but he has enough sense to hang on to something.
• After some tense moments, others arrive at the scene and they manage to fish out the three bodies.
• Thomasin is horrified.
• Clym is still alive but Eustacia and Damon are both dead.
• The group speculate as to whether or not Eustacia and Damon were planning to run away together.
• Charley arrives and asks Diggory if he can see Eustacia.
• Clym comes down and says they can all go look at Eustacia. He's practically a zombie at this point.
• The group go in and stare at the two dead people.
• Clym goes on a renewed guilt-fest times a thousand.