Chapter 39 Summary and Analysis: Flight, Identity, and the Weight of Complicity
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
After leaving Kinnear’s estate, Grace Marks and James McDermott reach Toronto just after dawn. McDermott insists on having breakfast at the City Hotel, drawing unwanted attention. Grace notices he is wearing Mr. Kinnear’s boots and shirt; they argue over whether this is worse than her taking Nancy’s dress. McDermott threatens Grace about her friendship with the peddler Jeremiah. Grace restrains herself from provoking him, planning to escape once they cross into the United States. They change clothes to avoid detection. Although Grace has a chance to betray McDermott while he gets shaved, she chooses not to, citing the despicable nature of betrayal and her unwillingness to take vengeance. They board the steamer Transit with the horse and wagon. Grace uses the alias Mary Whitney, pretending McDermott is her brother David. On board, young men flirt with her; she plays along to allay suspicion. She reflects on the quilt pattern “Lady of the Lake,” realizing it was named after a steamboat, and takes comfort that things may have a design. At Lewiston, customs detains the horse and wagon because McDermott tried to sell them too cheaply. They stay at a cheap inn. McDermott tries to force his way into Grace’s room, claiming they will marry soon. She refuses, locks the door, and resolves to steal away at dawn. Lying in bed, she imagines her footsteps being erased like the wake of a ship and wonders if vanishing is almost the same as being innocent.
Key Events
- Grace and McDermott arrive in Toronto after a nighttime journey.
- McDermott insists on breakfast at the City Hotel, making himself conspicuous.
- Grace discovers McDermott wearing Kinnear’s boots and learns he dressed the corpse in his own shirt.
- McDermott threatens Grace over her friendship with Jeremiah the peddler.
- Grace chooses not to betray McDermott when she has the chance.
- They board the steamer Transit; Grace adopts the alias Mary Whitney.
- On the boat, Grace flirts with young men to appear harmless.
- She reflects on the “Lady of the Lake” quilt pattern and seeks meaning in chaos.
- At Lewiston, customs impounds the horse and wagon because of McDermott’s low asking price.
- At a tavern inn, McDermott tries to share Grace’s room; she locks him out.
- Grace resolves to escape while McDermott sleeps.
- She lies in bed imagining her footsteps erased, equating erasure with innocence.
Character Development
Grace Marks moves from passive fear to active planning. She restrains her anger with McDermott, demonstrating strategic self-control. Her decision not to betray him—despite her fear and disgust—reveals a complex moral code: she considers betrayal despicable and prefers to let divine vengeance take its course. Her reflections on quilt patterns show her searching for order in senseless events. The image of erasure suggests she is beginning to question her own existence and responsibility.
James McDermott grows more arrogant and possessive. He wears Kinnear’s clothes as trophies, struts at the hotel, and tries to dominate Grace. His threat to “black her eyes” if she associates with Jeremiah reveals his violent jealousy. In the US, his drinking and attempted coercion show he expects to control Grace entirely. His boastfulness endangers them both.
Jeremiah the peddler is not present but is invoked. McDermott’s jealousy hints that Jeremiah may have been a genuine friend to Grace, and Grace’s worry that he will be blamed shows her loyalty.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Identity and disguise: Grace assumes the name of her dead friend Mary Whitney. McDermott wears Kinnear’s clothes. Both attempt to shed their pasts but are haunted by them.
- Guilt and complicity: Grace feels innocent yet knows appearances condemn her. Her choice not to betray McDermott ties her further to the crime.
- Betrayal: Grace calls betrayal “despicable” and refuses to hand McDermott over, even though he threatens her. This decision blurs the line between loyalty and self-preservation.
- Memory and erasure: The image of waves smoothing over footprints symbolises Grace’s wish to disappear, to have no trace, which she equates with innocence. This motif recurs throughout the novel.
- Borders: Crossing into the US offers legal safety but not emotional freedom. Grace notes that “slavers” still seize fugitives, suggesting borders are porous and justice is not guaranteed.
- Order in chaos: The quilt pattern revelation—that “Lady of the Lake” refers to a steamboat—gives Grace hope that senseless events may have a hidden design.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 39 crystallises Grace’s moral dilemma: she is physically fleeing but remains entangled with McDermott. Her refusal to betray him shows she is not merely a victim; she makes active choices that deepen her complicity. The chapter introduces the central metaphor of erasure and poses the question of whether innocence can be achieved by disappearing. It also foreshadows the difficulty of escaping the past, as customs delays and McDermott’s behaviour keep the pair in danger. Grace’s internal reflections here lay the groundwork for her later testimony and the novel’s exploration of identity and memory.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Grace decide not to betray McDermott when he goes to get shaved? Grace believes that betrayal is “despicable.” She has felt McDermott’s heart beating next to hers and, however unwanted, acknowledges it as a human heart. She also invokes the biblical principle “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,” deciding it is not her place to take vengeance. At the same time, she knows that appearances make her seem guilty, so turning him in might not save her.
2. How does the quilt pattern “Lady of the Lake” function symbolically in this chapter? Grace realises the quilt pattern is named after a steamboat (the Lady of the Lake), which was itself named after a poem. The pinwheel design represents the paddlewheel. The realisation gives Grace a moment of faith that events have a design if pondered long enough. It also connects to her memory of reading the poem with Mary Whitney, particularly the story of a kidnapped bride, which mirrors Grace’s own feeling of being forcibly taken.
3. What is the significance of Grace’s vision of erasure at the end of the chapter? Grace imagines her footsteps being smoothed over like the wake of a ship, leaving no trace. She thinks, “It’s as if I never existed... I have left no marks. And that way I cannot be followed.” This erasure is almost the same as being innocent. The passage reveals her longing to escape not just McDermott but her own history and guilt. It also foreshadows the novel’s concern with how stories and identities are constructed and erased over time.