Post-Picnic Hillside Confusion
The immediate aftermath of the picnic is defined by groping and bewilderment as the group tries to account for missing people and untangle what happened during the outing. Phaethon’s loss of his game is confirmed when he climbs onto the carriage box, humiliated and refusing to meet anyone’s eye, convinced he is the only one who interpreted the situation correctly, including the message Lucy received from a dying man five days prior. Miss Bartlett dismisses him as harmless once they return to town, as “real menace belongs to the drawing-room,” and the group begins their journey down the hillside toward Florence as rain and darkness set in.
Carriage Ride to Florence and Phaethon’s Observations
As the carriages travel toward Florence, Phaethon watches the group from the box, convinced he alone used his full instinct to understand the situation, while the other English visitors relied only on scraps of intelligence. He is the only one who correctly interpreted the message Lucy received from the dying man, a skill Miss Bartlett compares to that of Persephone, who divides her time between the world and the grave. Miss Bartlett worries Phaethon will share what he saw, but writes him off as irrelevant once they are back in urban Florence. The group discusses Alessio Baldovinetti as they travel, with Mr. Eager trying unsuccessfully to catch Lucy’s eye.
Lightning Strike Near Miss and Group Emotional Outpouring
Rain and darkness fall as the carriages travel, and the two ladies huddle under an inadequate parasol. Miss Lavish screams at the first lightning flash, and Lucy screams at the next. Mr. Eager scolds Lucy for her fear, arguing from both religious and scientific standpoints that they face no real danger of being struck. Under the rug, Miss Bartlett squeezes Lucy’s hand to comfort her, gaining Lucy’s trust far more effectively than hours of preaching would. The carriages stop halfway into Florence when Mr. Beebe requests Mr. Eager’s translation help, and Mr. Emerson panics, worried George is lost or killed in the storm. Miss Bartlett insists Mr. Eager assist Mr. Beebe instead of checking on George, and when Lucy asks how much Mr. Eager knows, Miss Bartlett admits he knows nothing, then bribes the silent Phaethon with a franc to keep him quiet. An explosion up the road reveals the storm has struck a tramline support that would have injured them had they not stopped. The group interprets the near miss as miraculous, and a flood of unguarded emotion leads them to embrace, feeling forgiven for past unworthinesses. While the older party quickly regain their composure, Lucy pours out her guilt and turmoil to Miss Bartlett, confessing she feels partially to blame for the incident with George by the river, and vowing to be truthful about her feelings.
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