Chapters 5-6 Summary

In Chapter 5, Rutledge and Davies run out of the Inn to a scene of near riot in the village square. Mavers, an unpleasant, feral-looking fellow, is down in the dirt. Several of the village men have murder in their eye. Mavers remains defiant, even as the villagers threaten him. Rutledge bursts into the fray, gathering up Mavers and dispersing the crowd. Sergeant Davies and Dr. Warren help calm the villagers.

They take Mavers to Dr. Warren's clinic. Dr. Warren reports he was lecturing the crowd on Bolshevik sentiments concerning peasants and oppressors when he tossed out one insult too many regarding Colonel Harris and they turned on him. Mavers is unrepentant.

It comes out here, too, however that Colonel Harris's virtues are well-regarded in Upper Streetham. He supported those villagers who sent sons and brothers to the war. Mavers spews more...