With The Tunnel, Pilgrimage shifts to London and Bloomsbury, where the focus of the story will remain until Book 9, Oberland. Miriam takes a room and a job and begins to establish her own circle of acquaintances. The longest book in the novel, it’s rich in details and has a somewhat intricate structure in terms of time. Its chapter structure is significantly different from the preceding books as well. It has the longest chapter in the book (Chapter 3, 43 pages), almost entirely devoted to one day of Miriam’s work at the dentist’s office. It also has the shortest chapter (Chapter 7 — one paragraph). Therefore, this plot summary may be less useful, as the distribution of events — one must always use the word cautiously when it comes to Pilgrimage — is somewhat uneven.
Chapter 1. Miriam arrives at Mrs. Bailey’s boarding house (a house where the lodgers also take breakfast and dinner together) and settles into her room, comparing it favorably to previous places she’d stayed.
Chapter 2. Miriam visits her sister Harriet and is invited to join a party on Easter Monday. She walks home near midnight and writes a postcard to her old schoolmate, Alma Wilson.
Chapter 3. Miriam’s work day at the dentist’s office — the Tuesday after Easter Monday. She acts as secretary and, as needed, dental assistant, working with Mr. Hancock, Mr. Orly, the senior partner, and Mrs. Orly, who acts as the house manager. She is reserved at lunch and tea but happy to be working with such a well-regarded dentist as Mr. Hancock.
Chapter 4. Miriam then spends her evening with her new friends Mag and Jan — two “new women.” On her way home, she is accosted by a man but continues on her way back to Mrs. Bailey’s.
Chapter 5. Miriam accompanies Mr. Hancock to a lecture at the Royal Institution and meets Miss Szigmondy. This is the Friday of the same week.
Chapter 6. The chapter opens with Miriam waiting to take the train back to London from visiting Alma Wilson and her husband, the novelist Hypo (H. G. Wells). She recalls the events of the weekend: taking part in tea and supper with the Wilsons and some of their friends on Saturday; and relaxing with Alma and Hypo on Sunday. During the visit, Hypo suggests that Miriam should take up writing.
Chapter 7. Miriam is upset at seeing a sign for Teetgen’s Teas. Rose Odle, Richardson’s sister-in-law, later explained that this was something Miriam saw on her last time in London with her mother, that the sight stirred up memories of her mother’s illness and suicide.
Chapter 8. Miriam at work again with Mr. Hancock. She recalls attending a social gathering the day before (Sunday) at his house and talking with Miss Szigmondy. She also reflects on her visit to the Wilsons and thinks she will not go again.
Chapter 9. Miriam returns, somewhat frustrated with herself, from a bicycle-riding lesson. She has supper with Mag and Jan. She receives a letter from Alma Wilson complaining that Miriam hasn’t visited recently.
Chapter 10. Miriam visits artists’ studios in Hampstead with Miss Szigmondy.
Chapter 11. Another day at work. Miriam is invited to a performance of Hamlet and tries to make conversation with Mr. Hancock.
Chapter 12. Miriam tells Mr. Hancock about her bicycle-riding lesson.
Chapter 13. A musical gathering at Miss Szigmondy’s.
Chapter 14. Miriam tries, but fails, to write Harriett about going to seeing Hamlet.
Chapter 15. Another day of work, followed by the evening at the theater — this time, Henry Irving in a play about King Charles I. In mid-chapter, she recalls seeing Irving playing Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
Chapter 16. Miriam dines at Mr. Hancock’s home. Afterward, they attend a lecture in Hampstead.
Chapter 17. A week at work, during which Mr. Hancock does work on his aunt and cousins, who treat Miriam poorly.
Chapter 18. Another evening at the Hancock’s.
Chapter 19. Miriam recalls an awkward weekend at Mr. Hancock’s country cottage.
Chapter 20. Another day at work. Mr. Hancock stresses the need for Miriam to keep her relationship with him professional, not personal.
Chapter 21. Miriam reads a letter from Mr. Hancock and fumes about it as she walks to work.
Chapter 22. Late one night, Miriam thinks about women and men. The next day, she takes a day trip to the North Sea coast (probably Essex) with Mag and Jan and reflects on her family’s summer trips to Babington and her time in Germany.
Chapter 23. Miriam looks forward to her holiday, which will start on 1 September.
Chapter 24. Miriam reads about “Women” in an encyclopedia. It is not a positive experience (“Books were poisoned.”).
Chapter 25. On holiday, Miriam travels by bicycle to visit her sister Harriett. She has four weeks off.
Chapter 26. Miriam rises early to travel by bicycle to Marlborough to visit the Greens, the family for who her sister Eve works.
Chapter 27. The last day of Miriam’s stay with the Greens. She worries about Eve’s health.
Chapter 28. Miss Dear, a woman Miriam met while visiting Eve, calls on Miriam. Miriam recalls meeting her.
Chapter 29. Miriam visits Miss Dear at her hostel and they have tea together.
Chapter 30. Miriam at work. She visits Miss Dear at a hospital. Upon arriving at Mrs. Bailey’s, Miriam finds a letter from Miss Dear asking her to visit again that night. Miriam reads to Miss Dear from Villette.
Chapter 31. Miriam’s “weeks of charity,” with many visits to Miss Dear. She eventually learns from Dr. Densley that Miss Dear is suffering from tuberculosis. During this time, she also meets Mr. Taunton, another friend of Miss Dear’s, Later, she learns that the two have become engaged.
Chapter 32. Mr. Taunton and Miriam about Miss Dear’s treatment and the possibility of her going to a clinic in the countryside.
Chapter 33. Miss Bailey tells Miriam that she is giving her lodgers notice that they must leave within 14 days — all the lodgers, that is, except Miriam, who can stay.