Tell Me Everything

“And there was Lucy Barton,” the narrator sighs, “standing by the fence.” Bob feels strangely shy at first, but he soon relaxes and begins to tell Lucy about the day Diana died. Bob recalls calling Matt Beach “son,” and he remembers how a slight breeze blew the leaves of the trees back and forth.

Bob’s narrative makes Lucy think about Janice Tucker, the “sin-eater” from Olive’s story. As they sit by the river, Lucy encourages Bob to take care of himself. When they stand up, Bob accidentally bumps into Lucy. Lucy tells Bob about an older couple she saw in New York, reflecting on the tenderness and care they seemed to show to each other. Bob feels a wave of sadness, and he wishes—suddenly—that his feelings for Lucy would go away entirely.