Elizabeth MacWhirter and Mr. Blake take turns describing the biography and adventures of James Douglas. A doctor, Douglas was notorious for using stolen corpses for his studies of human anatomy—a common but illegal practice for which medical practitioners risked jail and social ostracism. Douglas was also interested in humane treatment of people with mental-health conditions. This brought him in contact with Chiniquy’s work to combat the social costs of alcohol addiction.

MacWhirter recalls the passion around stopping the controversial sale of library holdings, as “any scrap of paper with English writing on it was sacred” (313). Gamache explains that the controversial book sale resulted in Renaud acquiring some of Chiniquy’s collection but that they have not yet found the volumes. Gamache and Émile realize that the notes in Renaud’s diary refer to a meeting in the past between Chiniquy, Douglas, and the two Irish immigrants, Patrick and O’Mara.

Gamache stops at the Presbyterian church, hearing Morin’s voice recalling the time he broke a violin and his mother reassured him “things are strongest when they’re broken” (317). Gamache meets Tom Hancock and alludes to Chiniquy and the book-sale controversy. Hancock does not recognize the name but instead stresses his devotion to the Literary and Historical Society and the remaining meeting places for the Anglophone community.