Once landing on shore, the evening has fallen. Light is transitory, and the wind is rising violently. The narrator becomes exceedingly anxious and resolves that either the creature or he will die tonight. Elizabeth observes his agitation and questions him; Victor gives her a vague answer, saying that the night is dreadful. Believing that he can spare Elizabeth a grisly combat scene, he bids her to retire before him, that he might gain knowledge of the creature’s whereabouts. He walks up and down, waiting.
Suddenly a scream breaks from Elizabeth’s room. After hesitating a moment, Victor runs in, only to find his bride murdered. Upon that vision, he falls to the ground senseless. When he recovers, he is surrounded by people of the inn. Their grief is only a shadow of his. He goes to the room where Elizabeth has been laid out.
With the handkerchief across her face, she looks as if she could merely be asleep. The creature’s black fingerprints are visible on the neck, as they are with all victims. As Victor looks up, he sees the perpetrator grinning at him. He fires a shot after him, but is unsuccessful. Frankenstein alerts the rest of the people in the inn of his presence, and they attempt to find him, with no luck. He wants to aid in the search, but his steps are like a drunken man so he is carried to his bed, hardly conscious.
Later he joins the mourners around Elizabeth in weeping. He then remembers his father and brother, wondering if they are safe. He resolves to proceed to Geneva as quickly as possible. As he travels, he states that all hopes of happiness are gone. Both Alphonse and Ernest are safe upon his arrival.
After hearing the news of Elizabeth’s murder, his father goes into a decline and dies within a few days. The narrator knows not what becomes of himhe loses sensation for all except chains and darkness. Liberty would be useless, but he awakens to revenge. The first step towards this is revealing the entire story to a magistrate.
The official listens attentively and assures him that nothing will be spared to find the villain. However, he doubts there will be a success in pursuing a superhuman being who seems to have effectively disappeared. Victor is enraged and states that he will pursue the creature’s destruction himself. He leaves the house very disturbed.
