Picnic at Hanging Rock: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Constable Bumpher is shocked as he reads a letter that has arrived for him from Appleyard College—marked confidential, it is from the French teacher, Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers. The letter, written in beautiful English (in spite of the writer’s repeated insistence of her inadequate grasp of the language,) describes Mademoiselle’s fears about the situation of one Sara Waybourne.

Mademoiselle writes that on the morning of the 22nd, Mrs. Appleyard informed her that Sara had been taken away by her guardian—a fact which surprised Mademoiselle, who now fears that the child has “mysteriously disappeared.” Mademoiselle reveals that after asking Minnie and the cook about Sara’s departure, she has found that neither women saw Mr. Cosgrove arrive or leave with Sara. Mademoiselle further states that while cleaning Sara’s room, she discovered “certain things.” She writes that she will be leaving the college soon, but encloses her new address. She begs the constable to visit the school and make some inquiries—but not to let Mrs. Appleyard know about the letter.

The letter makes Bumpher uneasy. He questions his wife, a notorious gossip, as to whether she’s heard any rumors concerning Mrs. Appleyard lately. His wife replies that she’s heard the headmistress has a horrible temper and often flies into rages—not only that, but the headmistress apparently drinks a lot. He asks what his wife knows about the French governess, and his wife reports a story in which the woman, given too much change after cashing a check, returned the surplus amount to the busy banker who gave it to her—she is an honest, kind woman. Bolstered by these accounts, Bumpher tells his wife he’s heading out and may not be home until late.

Back at the college, Mr. Whitehead gets to work pruning and watering the hydrangea bed behind the house. He notices a terrible smell coming from the far end—when he goes over to investigate, he sees that the bush is trampled. He cuts away the broken stalks, and, within the hedge, soon finds “something that had once been a girl in a nightdress.” The girl’s head has been crushed in—still, the gardener knows from her tiny stature that the dead girl is Sara Waybourne. The gardener scrambles from the hedge and goes up to Mrs. Appleyard’s study to tell her what he’s found.

Once again, the narrative breaks. Mr. Whitehead’s statement to Constable Bumpher on Good Friday is reproduced. In his statement he describes going up to Mrs. Appleyard’s study to find her looking “awful.” He describes telling Mrs. Appleyard about what he’d found—in response, she let out a scream like a “wild animal.” After collecting herself, Mrs. Appleyard ordered Mr. Whitehead to ready a horse and buggy to take her to the police station. Mr. Whitehead did as the woman asked—and was shocked when she came downstairs with a handbag and gloves, surprised that she would think of gloves at such a time. Mr. Whitehead deposited the headmistress at the police station—she told him to head back to the college, insisting she’d get a cab back herself after speaking with the police. That, Mr. Whitehead writes, was the last time he saw her.

Another statement to Constable Bumpher is reproduced. Mr. Hussey writes that on Thursday—shortly after being dropped off by Mr. Whitehead—Mrs. Appleyard came to him to ask for a cab out to Hanging Rock Road. She said she’d gotten some bad news from friends who lived there and needed to see them. Mr. Hussey offered to take the woman himself. As the rock came into view, Mrs. Appleyard made a terrible face and shook her fist at it. At a small farm, Mrs. Appleyard asked Mr. Hussey to let her out. She assured him her friends would bring her back later. He let her out. Later, in court, the narrator reveals, the shepherd and his wife who owned the farm would state that they saw a woman getting out at their gate, then walking toward the Picnic Grounds.

The narration switches to Mrs. Appleyard’s point of view. Despite never having visited Hanging Rock, she is, from the press coverage of her students’ disappearances, all too familiar with the layout of the grounds. After navigating the picnic grounds, she crosses the creek and sets off up the mountain. Though Mrs. Appleyard knows nothing of nature, she climbs the mountain adeptly, pausing only to remove her gloves. As she climbs higher and higher, she thinks of the missing girls—and of Sara.

As Mrs. Appleyard ascends, she finds herself face-to-face with a pile of stones upon which is a large black spider. Mrs. Appleyard, fearful of spiders, looks about for something with which to kill it. When she turns around, she finds herself looking at Sara Waybourne staring at her from behind “a mask of rotting flesh.” Mrs. Appleyard takes a running jump toward a nearby precipice and leaps from it. She falls to the ground below, impaling her head upon a sharp, jutting rock.