Part 2, Chapter 17 Summary

Merivel begins to hang out with Katherine more, and she opens up to him more about her past and present life and her resulting "condition." Merivel rubs her feet at night, and finally she is able to fall asleep, albeit for short periods of time. Merivel, along with Eleanor, makes her a doll out of rags, and she makes a "nest" of straw for it that she calls Bethlehem.

The plague has begun to take hold in London and surrounding areas of Britain. The residents are becoming suspicious of everyone else, imagining them as plague carriers, and the six decide to no longer grant entry to anyone at the institution, including patient visitors. Katherine's mother comes, and against Merivel's objections, she is turned away. However, she is allowed to leave a gift for Katherine. Another group of visitors, a ragged-looking family...