In this chapter, the reader is introduced to a number of characters who are introduced for the first time in the novel. The first is the Governess, who is introduced as a "slip-down ignorance" . The Governess explains that she is carrying a huge rucksack and that she has been distracted by the sound of the rustle of the leaves. She is aware that the road is dangerous, but she is not worried about it. She says that she knows the main mission has been accomplished, and she will be the first person to reach the destination.