Part 1 — Chapter 5

Summary

• Edwin finds Victoria too much like England without actually being England, and feels it’s a far-distant simulation.
• Edwin witnesses his companion, Thomas, try to establish good relations with the English locals, but they fail to accept him fully into their society.
• Edwin stands aloof from these interactions and contemplates the city and its people, feeling uncomfortable and restless.
• Gentlemen at the Union Club discuss the lack of opportunity back in England. All these men are second sons, who will inherit nothing. Edwin proposes a toast to exile and to building a new future.
• Thomas reveals to Edwin his intentions of setting up in a timber company in Vancouver Island, aiming to leave a mark on the wilderness.
• Edwin has conflicting feelings about the idea of disappearing into the wilderness as they boat up Vancouver Island.
• On the boat, Thomas and Edwin keep mostly to themselves, with Thomas speaking dismissively about those he views as complacent in Victoria.
• They arrive at the small settlement of Caiette in the early evening, and both secure rooms in the local boardinghouse.
• Thomas leaves for the logging camp while Edwin settles into a comfortable, isolated lifestyle, sketching, reading, and playing chess with other boarders.
• Edwin is captivated by the beauty of Caiette, enjoying the sense of order in playing chess, and unsure of what he is waiting for next.