📖 About This Book · Starvecrow Farm · by Stanley J. Weyman
First published in 1905 by LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. NEW YORK LONDON AND BOMBAY
Setting: Lake District, November 1819 – a period of post-war economic depression, political unrest, and radical agitation.
Key Themes: elopement and romantic idealism · class conflict · political radicalism · surveillance and authority · women's independence.
Major Characters: Henrietta (young heroine) · Captain Anthony Clyne (naval officer, conservative, Henrietta's former suitor).
Plot Arc: The novel follows the elopement of Henrietta and Alan Stewart, their flight through the Lake District, and the shadow of pursuit and political conspiracy that hangs over their romance.
Chapter XXXII · The Search
Summary
- Bishop returns to the inn after losing Henrietta's trail; he finds that she has not returned and that Clyne is asleep.
- The news of Henrietta's disappearance spreads, creating excitement and speculation among the inn's guests and locals.
- Mr. Sutton confronts Bishop, urging him to take action; Bishop agrees to organize a search and sends Sutton to tell Clyne.
- Nadin arrives and takes charge of the search parties; they begin visiting houses within a mile of the inn.
- Sutton delays telling Clyne on Mrs. Gilson's advice; when Clyne finally wakes at eight o'clock, Sutton breaks the news.
- Clyne is overcome with remorse, realizing he loved Henrietta and has wronged her deeply.
- The search continues through the night with many volunteers; Modest Ann reveals that Bess Hinkson gave her a letter for Henrietta.
- Bishop leads a party to Starvecrow Farm; they question old Hinkson, who says Bess is nursing at Tyson's farm.
- The party goes to Tyson's farm; Bess gives a plausible account of receiving a letter from Walterson; they find nothing suspicious and leave.
- As they leave, Clyne thinks he hears something but dismisses it as fancy; the chapter ends with the searchers baffled.
📖 Glossary of Period Terms
- flatiron
- A flat iron; here used in the phrase "Please a flatiron," meaning to satisfy or please someone who is difficult or unreasonable.
- cudgels
- Short, thick sticks used as weapons; clubs.
Analysis
- Clyne's Remorse and Revelation: Clyne's reaction to Henrietta's disappearance reveals his true feelings. The narrator describes remorse as "the very shirt of Nessus," a reference to the poisoned garment that caused Heracles unbearable pain. Clyne's realization that he loved Henrietta and that his pride and prejudice blinded him is a moment of profound self-awareness.
- The Search as a Community Effort: The search for Henrietta brings together people from different social classes. The description of the searchers—some in high-collared coats and waistcoats, others in smock frocks and fustian shorts—shows a community united in a common purpose. The search becomes a collective endeavor, with the inn functioning as a command center.
- Bess's Deception: Bess's behavior at Tyson's farm is a masterclass in deception. Her frankness, her plausible story about the letter, and the neat and orderly appearance of the kitchen all serve to disarm suspicion. The dog's growling is a subtle clue that something is amiss, but the searchers are too tired and too ready to believe her story.
In Greek mythology, the shirt of Nessus was a poisoned garment that the centaur Nessus gave to Deianira, telling her it would ensure her husband Heracles' love. When Heracles wore it, the poison caused him such agony that he threw himself onto a funeral pyre. The phrase has come to mean a painful or fatal burden, especially one that is self-inflicted or comes from a trusted source. Clyne's remorse is compared to this, suggesting his guilt is consuming him.
The Salutation was a well-known inn in Ambleside in the Lake District. The "larder of the Salutation" refers to its food supplies. The fact that the searchers had to draw on another inn's provisions shows the scale of the search and the strain on local resources. This detail adds realism to the narrative and highlights the community's commitment to finding Henrietta.
This description highlights the social diversity of the search party. High-collared coats were fashionable among the upper and middle classes in the early 19th century. Fustian was a coarse, sturdy cotton fabric worn by laborers; shorts (trousers) made of fustian were practical workwear. The mingling of these different classes in a common cause shows how the crisis temporarily bridged social divisions, a theme that recurs throughout the novel.
"Redbreasts" was a slang term for members of the Bow Street Runners, London's first professional police force, who wore scarlet waistcoats. The term is used contemptuously by Mrs. Gilson, reflecting the rural distrust of city authorities and their methods. This detail reinforces the tension between local and official law enforcement that runs through the novel.
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