Chapter 29

Sir Gilbert, the Lieutenant Governor of the province, comes for a visit to make sure everything is calm in Chandrapore; he assures Fielding, in confidence, that he has done the right thing and will be invited back into the club. Fielding thinks little of these confidences.

Adela stays for a while at Fielding's. He persuades her to write an apology to Aziz. She does, but they both agree that the letter turns out badly because she has no longer has any real feeling for the Indians. The trial has made the Indians more aggressive and more prone to seeing injustice; they decide they need to be educated in order to fight the British rule. They appeal to Fielding. Aziz even asks Fielding to "give into the east," and leave his British past behind; Fielding, however, cannot do it.

Aziz is grief-stricken on learning about Mrs. Moore's death. Fielding repeatedly uses her name when he tries to persuade Aziz not to seek monetary compensation from Adela. Finally, Aziz acknowledges that Mrs. Moore would have suggested to leave poor Adela alone. As a mark of respect to the dead woman, Aziz renounces the compensation money and claims only his costs for the trial.

In spite of Adela's testimony and the court's decision, the British continue to believe that Aziz is guilty and that Adela was too weakened to give hard evidence in court.

Ronny tells Fielding that his engagement is off, and Adela is leaving for England. When Fielding talks with her, Adela admits that she regrets what she has done in India. She knows that her lack of love had something to do with the incident at the caves, and now she no longer wants love. They talk of Mrs. Moore, and of their conceptions of death. Even though they are good friends, they both seem dissatisfied with themselves. They promise to keep in touch. Ten days later Adela leaves.

On the boat, Adela's servant, Antony, tries to blackmail her, saying she was the mistress of Fielding. She sends him away before the ship leaves, but the incident has made the other people on the boat uncomfortable with her. On her trip, she decides to look up Mrs. Moore's other two children, Ralph and Stella, once she is back in England.

Forster begins to tie up the loose ends of the novel. The first reconciliation starts with Fielding being asked to rejoin the club, supposedly in appreciation for his role in the trial. Fielding then tries to reconcile Adela and Aziz and persuades her to write a note of apology to him. By using Mrs. Moore's name, Fielding also persuades Aziz to drop his claim for compensation from Adela.

None of these reconciliations have much meaning. Fielding sees his invitation to rejoin the club as an empty gesture of the self- interested British. Adela's letter has no real meaning, for she no longer has any feelings for the Indians. Even the friendship between Adela and Fielding is not whole-heartedly felt

Adela's Indian stay ends with displeasure on her part. She regrets what she has done in India and feels unsatisfied that she did not learn more about the country. Because of Ronny, she also feels she may never be able to love again. To make matters worse for her, her servant casts doubts on her moral character; therefore, the people on the boat ignore her, making her feel isolated.

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