The End of the Affair: Book 5, Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Bendrix writes that Henry was uncertain about Sarah’s funeral the afternoon before she was to be cremated. Henry calls Bendrix and asks him to come over. When Bendrix gets there, Henry introduces him to a priest named Father Crompton. Bendrix has the distinct impression that Crompton knows who he is and disapproves. Father Crompton assures Henry that he would have taken over Sarah’s funeral preparations immediately if he’d known about her death. In a narrated aside, Bendrix notes that he hated Father Crompton because he was the “victor” while he and Henry were victims. Father Crompton explains that Sarah had shown an interest in becoming Catholic and, through “the baptism of desire,” she qualified for a Catholic burial.

After listening to Father Crompton and Henry discuss Sarah, Bendrix speaks up and tells Henry that they have no reason to believe what Crompton is saying. Father Crompton claims that he saw Sarah less than a week before she died and implies that Bendrix simply hadn’t been in Sarah’s confidence. Bendrix angrily tells the priest that Sarah might have expressed curiosity about religion, but that doesn’t indicate a wish to join. Bendrix turns to Henry and tells him that it is too late the change the funeral plans, especially since they have no evidence that Sarah would have wanted a Catholic funeral. After going back and forth, Bendrix convinces Henry that it is impractical to change the arrangements. Father Crompton promises to remember Sarah at Mass and gets up to leave. Crompton turns his back on Bendrix, which makes Bendrix believe that Crompton can sense his hatred.