Part 2 (through page 313) Summary

At the house party, Tamar appears dazed and sick. She hardly eats and refuses to participate in the planned activities of the weekend. On Sunday, everyone attends the local church where the priest, Father McAlister, leads the service. He notices Tamar's distress at once and insists on speaking privately to her. She confesses to him that she is pregnant.

Sometime after the party, Crimond arrives at Gerard's house for a discussion of the book. The meeting begins awkwardly, but the atmosphere changes when Crimond announces that he is still working on the book. Gerard tells him that the brotherhood feels that some sort of progress report is needed on the development of the book.

Gerard assures Crimond that the brotherhood is not interested in interfering with his work. A discussion develops around the subject of Crimond's political views. Crimond...