Mexican Gothic: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Noemí decides that she and Catalina will have a casino night, like they used to as children. She goes to Catalina’s room and presents her with the deck of cards, but she seems hesitant to play. Noemí guesses that she’s afraid of Florence, and teases Catalina about it. She then gives her Marta’s remedy, and Catalina’s eyes light up when she sees it. She thanks Noemí profusely, then digs in her drawer and pulls out a silver spoon. Catalina pours herself a teaspoon and swallows greedily, then takes another, then a third. Noemi has to grab her hand to stop her from downing a fourth.

Noemí chides her, reminding Catalina that Marta’s instructions were to take two spoons at the most. Catalina smiles weakly and then moves to pick up the deck of cards. She suddenly stops, as if frozen in place. Noemí tries to ask her if she’s alright, but she’s interrupted by a loud crack, as if one of Catalina’s joints has broken, and then her cousin begins convulsing. Noemí tries to catch Catalina, and they both fall to the floor. Noemí yells for help. She places the silver spoon in Catalina’s mouth to bar her from biting her tongue.

Noemí runs into the hallway and screams again for help. Finally Francis and Florence appear, and she tells them that Catalina is having a seizure. They all run back to the room, and Francis springs forward to hold Catalina. Florence stops Noemí, ordering her to get out. She slams the door in Noemí’s face. In a few minutes Francis exits the room, walking quickly to go and fetch Dr. Cummins. Noemí wants to go with him, but Francis tells her to wait in the sitting room. He’ll fetch Noemí when he returns; it won’t be long.

It’s a long time before Francis comes back, and when he does, he brings Florence and Dr. Cummins with him. Noemí asks about Catalina. Dr. Cummins tells her that she’s asleep and through the worst of it. Florence holds up Marta’s bottle and demands to know where it came from. Noemí says it’s just a sleeping tonic, and Catalina was the one who asked for it. Besides, she had already taken it before—it couldn’t have been what made her sick. Dr. Cummins scolds her; is Noemí a medical professional? What does she know? He informs Noemí that what she gave her cousin was an opium tincture. A filthy tincture like this, he says, could have killed her.

Florence again asks where Noemí got the tincture. Catalina had told her not to tell anyone, so Noemí bites her tongue. She feels like crying, and she might, but Francis moves behind her and places his hand over hers. Florence tells Noemí that she deserves to be slapped, but just as she moves forward Virgil strolls in and asks to be alone with Noemí. Dr. Cummins immediately obeys, but Florence protests, drawing a bitter response from Virgil. Reluctantly, Florence and Francis leave the room, leaving Virgil and Noemí alone.

Virgil fills his glass from a decanter and sits on the settee next to Noemí. He tells her that she should have more respect for his home. She’s been constantly upsetting Catalina, and now she’s brought her poison. Noemí’s exasperated, and she gets up to leave, but Virgil grabs her by the wrist and pulls her down. Seeing her wince, he pulls away Noemí’s sleeve and sees the bandage on her wrist. He knows Dr. Camarillo gave her the bandage, so he asks if he also gave Noemí the tincture. She demands that he let her go.

While still clutching Noemí’s wrist, Virgil tells her that Florence was right: she deserves to be slapped. Noemí retorts that if anyone is going to be slapped, it would be Virgil. He laughs loudly at this, spilling his drink. He carelessly tosses his glass on the floor—it’s his to break if he chooses, like everything in this house. Virgil berates Noemí: does she think she’s the only one who cares about Catalina? He knows that Noemí’s father didn’t approve of their marriage; he didn’t think Virgil was a good match because the mine had closed. But Virgil is a Doyle, and it would be good of Noemí to remember that.

Virgil continues to reproach Noemí. By going behind the family’s back, she has acted selfishly, like a spoiled brat. And she hurt Virgil’s wife. Noemí feels both anger and shame; she hates the way that Virgil is speaking to her, but she’s done a foolish thing. Tears well in her eyes. Virgil’s voice wavers—Noemí nearly made him a widower tonight, so she must forgive him for not being very gracious. He asks her to leave Catalina’s care to Dr. Cummins from now on. There are many things that Noemí doesn’t understand, but she must believe that Catalina’s well-being is important to the family. He lingers at her side and then strides from the room.