Caleb's Crossing

Bethia almost immediately faces consequences after her brother tells Corlett she has taken the Lord’s name in vain aloud. Corlett informs her that offenders can be tortured for this in the colonies. Instead of submitting her to the authorities, Corlett allows Makepeace to beat his sister. Bethia is horrified to see that Makepeace enjoys hitting her.

The wounds begin to fester, but Anne comes to her aid with an herbal compress.

At this inauspicious moment, Corlett takes the opportunity to explain that he has some hope that Bethia might be willing to marry his son, Samuel. Bethia is shocked, but is willing to meet Samuel.

Bethia pays a visit to Samuel Corlett at Harvard’s Indian College. Although this new building was paid for by philanthropists hoping to aid Native American converts, it is actually inhabited by white students. Nevertheless, Samuel says he would be glad to make room for Indigenous students.

Samuel feels that domestic duties are proper for women and Bethia responds by reciting an Anne Bradstreet poem that points out that the Queen is a woman.

They discuss Samuel’s role at the college: He is a tutor working under Master Chauncey, the college President. Bethia feels that she has to choose between getting married to Corlett and Merry—marriage is the only suitable way for a woman to be economically provided for. Marriage to Corlett means living among scholars, while losing the island. On the other hand, Merry would give her a quiet, pastoral life. She describes this as “probably the last choice that will ever be entirely my own” (199).

Bethia visits Corlett again the next day, as he awaits her answer. At the library, Bethia is dismayed to learn that only the tutors are allowed to use the collection of books.

Bethia plans to agree to marry Samuel, even though she knows that they will have to wait some time before he occupies his profession; among other things, they will have to spend time in Padua for him to conduct medical studies.

Just as she is just about to say yes, Caleb arrives with unexpected and terrifying news: Anne is currently miscarrying, though no one knew she was pregnant.

Bethia arrives to find Anne roughly handled by the midwife. The remains of the miscarried child are taken and burned. Predictably, Caleb and Joel are under suspicion of having impregnated Anne. When Corlett confronts Bethia with his accusations against the young men, she defends her friends and privately repents disposing of the fetal tissue so quickly—it could have served as evidence exculpating Caleb and Joel. Corlett is concerned that consequences might come from the authorities against Anne and perhaps Caleb and Joel. Caleb and Bethia develop a plan to abscond with Anne to the island, where she can return to her people.

The school is in turmoil in the wake of Anne’s miscarriage. Fortunately, Noah Merry is in Cambridge on business. It turns out that in Bethia’s absence, he has fallen in love with another woman. Thus, the two can break the engagement yet still remain friends. Moreover, it so happens that the Merrys, hoping to end things amicably with Bethia’s family, have bought her indentures from Corlett. Therefore, she is free. All of this makes it easy for Bethia to ask if Noah will help accompany Anne to the island.

Makepeace decides to leave school for good, returning on the same boat as Merry. They must therefore inform him of the plan to send Anne away with Noah. Fortunately, Makepeace accedes to their plan.