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A Message from the Sea
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A Message From the Sea (hosted by Sara) - 4th Summer Read 2021
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Bridget, I love the quote. I think it would be a sure thing that Dickens would be an abolitionist sympathizer. His concern for the poor and downtrodden would make it almost impossible for him to look at slavery as anything but an abomination. Jean is far more knowledgeable on the biographical details, but I am with you in thinking this quote is a direct reference to his own feelings on the matter.
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Sue wrote: "I’m looking forward to continuing with this story and so glad that my collection seems to have the whole thing. I actually got rid of my copy of Sketches of Boz since it wasn’t searchable and the o..."This last purchase of mine has the full story...finally a "complete" works that is complete.
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
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I know Sara will be commenting, but thought I'd just add that Charles Dickens loathed slavery. He wrote impassioned diatribes to his friend John Forster, and when he was in the USA, the States which were still supporting this, he refused to be silent on the subject. He caused quite a bit of trouble!
EDIT: Oh I missed your comment Sara! My page didn't update, but yes, it's all in John Forster's biography. Charles Dickens was so shocked and disgusted.
Chapter III - The Club Night (written by Wilkie Collins)This section opens with a description of a Cornish moor at night and in fog, that sets a sombre tone for the journey Alfred and Jorgan have embarked upon.
Thrice had the sun risen, and all day long had the sharp wind blown at them like some malevolent spirit bent on forcing them back.
But, they are strong and accustomed to harsh weather and they persevere and come to Lanrean. None but gaunt specters of miners passed them here, with metallic masks of faces, ghastly with dust of copper and tin…
Jorgan comments on the desolation of the men and the countryside, comparing the latter to a miser, and discourses delightfully on the rocky shoreline and the legends that they are a group of Cornish men that got changed into that geological formation for playing a game upon a Sunday. We are reminded again that he is an American when he says, They wouldn’t have it in my country with regard to believing in the legend.
Along the way, we are told, Alfred has spoken to Jorgan of his disappointment in delaying his marriage, his concern for the family name, and the restitution of the money, but without any indication that there is any alternative but to do what he is doing.
The going is very difficult and they lose the road frequently, but they press forward and at approximately 9:00 PM they bump into the wall of the King Arthur’s Arms hotel. The Captain determines not to be put aside or given cold quarters, so when he pushes into the building, he heads directly for a room that is obviously lit, with a warm fire, and from which voices emerge.
The captain presents himself and Alfred, states their condition and want of supper, and then plants himself close to the fire. The dozen or so men inside the room are taken aback, and one exclaims, “This is a club”. Undaunted, Jorgan replies, “Wa’al now, that’s curious! Didn’t I say, coming along, if only we could light upon a Club?” The Chairman of the meeting reminds the membership that they have already broken the rule of admitting strangers once that night by admitting “the seafaring man”.
While eating their supper, Jorgan and Alfred determine to listen and to try if some of the old men in the room might be on the list given to them by Kitty’s father. Meanwhile the members discuss the “seafaring man” who was admitted earlier and was asked to tell a story, which he began as one of being shipwrecked on an island, but then abruptly cut off and refused to finish, taking himself off to bed upstairs.
The Chairman then states that it is a tradition of the Club to have its members present a “transaction of adventure in his life, the life of a relation, or in the life of a friend” and he has a teetotum that he spins to designate the next storyteller. When the teetotum stops, the designee is “Mr. Parvis”, a name from the list. Mr. Parvis attempts to tell a tale regarding a waistcoat, but remembers little of the tale or any details of the coat other than its design. When he has finished, Alfred asks Parvis if the forgotten elements of the tale might have to do with a sum of money, such as five hundred pounds? A sum of money supposed by its possessor to be honestly come by, but in reality ill-gotten and stolen?
Captain Jorgan assures the assembly that there is no accusation or offense in the questions and Parvis is prevailed upon to answer. His answer is a resounding “NO”. The teetotum is spun and the next story is offered by John Tredgear.
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I will take each of the stories told by the club members individually. I do hope everyone will read them, they are quite marvelous. And, between them we see a development of the main story of the message and the money.
I loved the atmosphere in this part of the tale. I could feel the damp and cold as they traveled through the fog, and the feeling of being lost on the moors. When they arrive at the inn, the humor provided by Jorgan is much needed, and I think Collins did a good job of continuing Jorgan in character. I wonder if Americans were seen as being more practical and less imaginative, because the comment by Jorgan that the legend wouldn't be countenanced in "my country" would tend toward that view.
I felt the change of authors more in this hand-off than I did in the Wreck of the Golden Mary. I wonder if I was influenced by knowing that Dickens and Collins disagreed about the writing, or whether Collins had had more time to establish his own style and wasn't taking direction from Dickens as readily as he had before. Did anyone else feel this?
Sara, I've read through chapter 2 and am loving the story and all the commentary so far. I'm enjoying the characterization of the Captain and appreciate the insight into Dickens' views of Americans.
So happy you are with us, Lori. I find the perceptions of Americans to be very interesting. One of the things I love the most about Dickens is that we know so much about him personally and we can see so much of his life and thoughts reflected in his stories and characters.
I’m off to read this section. Will be back later.
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
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Edit: no illustration.
I'm sorry, Jean. I'm looking forward to seeing the illustrations from the book, since the first one was lovely.
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Linking them would be marvelous, Jean. I'm afraid it is outside my own knowledge or capabilities. I'm pleased you found the illustration of the message itself. I searched for a copy of it that could be "lifted", but did not find one. Nothing at archive.org can be copied, so even quotes must be retyped instead of copy/paste.Your collection of his works must be awesome.
A quick note to say the kindle book I have is titled The Complete Stories, with a lengthy subtitle of the various types and sources. So far it’s been living up to its title. It wasn’t free, I don’t believe, but I think it may have been around $1.99 US.
Sara, are you reading from the same kindle version as the one I linked earlier? Just curious about how far to read into the chapter for a stopping point. Mine doesn’t appear to have separate sections for the stories and I haven’t saturated reading yet. So there may be natural breaks between them, I’m guessing. Hoping to start this section today.
I am not able to find this exact book on GR, so I am linking to Amazon. It is 99-cents and has the complete story and is the book you linked earlier, Lori.https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XCQ6LL...
I am splitting the chapter "The Club Night" into sections, but it is written as one continuous chapter. I stopped at the point where the teetotum is spun and lands on Mr. Tredgear. I will put up a summary of Tredgear's story next, and then each of the stories that follow individually. You will find there is a natural break where the stories begin and end, Lori.
I too thought Collins did a great job keeping the characteristics of Captain Jorgan and Alfred Raybrock consistent with what Dickens wrote in the first two chapters. How clever of Collins to give each man in the list a story, plus add in the mysterious Seafaring man who is sleeping upstairs. Great idea, Sara, to divide up this long chapter by the different stories.
I enjoyed the aside about how the Old Druid Water moved the giant stones around. Are there many stone circles in that part of England?
What a great start to chapter 3. I thought the transition was very smooth. The description of the fog in the moor and knowing they were going to have difficulty finding their way was wonderful. It felt very mystical especially when the captain talked of the Water as she Old Druid like Bridget mentioned. That was a wonderful visual like a big huge chess board but with stones. I’m intrigued by the mysterious seafaring man especially after mentioning a shipwreck. Could he know something of poor Hugh’s message?
I’ve been getting the feeling that Dickens views Americans as more boisterous and not afraid to “push in” or pry. He has honorable reasons for speaking out in wanting to help Alfred and his family with the money mystery. But Jorgan certainly has been vocal and less reserved than an Englishman might be.
Bridget wrote: "I enjoyed the aside about how the Old Druid Water moved the giant stones around. Are there many stone circles in that part of England?"I know from reading Mary Stewart that the countryside has ancient cairns and plinths and a Google search says there are over 1000 stone circles across the country, so pretty plentiful. The imagery in the tale is very strong.
Lori The sea keeps offering up mysteries...first the message and now a seafarer.
I do love that Jorgan, as an American, is given a completely different personality than the Englishmen around him.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this story. It's very atmospheric. I've reached the end of Chapter 3 and have enjoyed the stories and tales.
I'll wait for Sara to post about the stories before commenting more.
Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying this read.
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
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I've seen quite a few stone age or prehistoric monuments in the West Country over the years, but apparently there are several hundred if you include barrows and ancient hill forts! Including those in Wilts and Somerset there are more than any other part of England. LINK HERE.
Links to the summaries are now in place.
Glad you are reading with us, Petra. I also enjoyed the stories. The structure of this story is identical to The Wreck of the Golden Mary, and I think you pointed out that the stories served to let you know the secondary characters better, and they serve that same purpose here.Jean - Thank you so much for doing the links!
I’ve read two of the stories now. They are really well developed. To me they seem superior to those sub-stories in The Wreck of the Golden Mary because of the development. Collins is doing well.
I should point out that all of the stories are not written my Collins. Other contributors were Henry F. Chorley, Charles Allston Collins, Amelia Edwards, and Harriet Parr. I found documentation regarding Parr's contribution, but everything I read otherwise simply lists the others as contributors and fails to state the specific amount or point of contribution. This is made more difficult by the fact that Dickens never attributed the work in the magazine when it was produced. I find it interesting that a man who was so involved in fighting for copyright legislation would not think it necessary or appropriate to acknowledge another writer's contribution to the magazine he publishes. I'm sure he had his reasons, but in my reading it seemed generally held that he simply wanted to maintain full control over the process. There are several literary papers written on this subject, and one which might well reveal exactly who wrote what, however these documents were available to me only by subscription to a site or purchase of the document, so I was only able to read the bits and pieces revealed as teasers.
Sara, I find it odd, too, that Dickens was so invested in copyrights and infringements, yet didn't give credit to his own writers. It would be interesting to hear his reasons from him. I'm sure he had them. I'm surprised, too, at the parallels between this story and The Wreck. Yet the two stories are different enough to stand on their own.
I'm guessing the format worked so well with The Wreck that Dickens decided to use it again. It also gave several authors a chance to write something for the issue, and I am guessing they all got paid for the contribution. ??
What I don't understand is why so many versions of this story and the Golden Mary are published using only Dickens own contributions instead of the complete version. Especially in this one, the chapters by others explain a lot of the inconsistencies and confusion that are experienced when just reading the Dickens chapters.
I know, makes no sense at all. Of course, they would say they are trying not to attribute someone else's work to Dickens, but all they have to do is put a disclaimer in and we are all intelligent enough to understand. This is a marvelous read with everything included and not even a mediocre one without. I'm sure Dickens himself would be puzzled.
Tredgear’s Story: (Wilkie Collins)When he was younger, Mr. Tredgear had pursued a commercial venture in France that required him to go into remote parts of the countryside and he often stopped at roadside cabarets, not always well-reputed. He was qualified for the job, as he spent half his school years in France and spoke the language like a native.
While he often was able to travel by train or other conveyance, he frequently needed to travel by carriage, and for this purpose he had purchased his own horse, a quality creature worth some two thousand francs. He traveled much of France in this manner and stayed at places with poor accommodations frequently enough.
On the occasion in question, Tredgear had been delayed for a forgotten reason, and began his journey an hour later than he had planned. Climbing into his carriage, pulling a sheepskin over his legs, and positioning his companion terrier by his side, he set out upon his trip. The weather was grey with a fine drizzle and he saw few people on his road.
Having left in such a hurry, he had failed to inquire as to what village it would be best to stop for his noon meal, or for the name of a house of good repute. So, he found himself at a crossroads at noon, with a “bare-looking” inn with the sign Tete Noire and little choice but to stop, knowing nothing of its reputation. There was no sign of life and he had an unsettled feeling regarding the unkept, closed-up structure, but his horse was tired and he felt he must stop--and so he did.
Everything was shut up tight, no sounds or signs of either livestock or people, and the rain continued to fall, dampening both the appearance and the natural sounds. He helloed and a boy exited the back of the house and came forward to aid with unharnessing the horses. While his attention was on the boy, a man slipped up behind him, and he was startled to find him close by and “the most ill-looking man that it was ever my fortune to behold.” The man surveys every inch of the carriage, all the possessions therein, and even the gold ring on Tredgear’s finger, with eyes that are described as “tigerish”.
Against all his better judgement, he enters the house into a room that is vast and glaringly lit. Even the terrier, Nelly, shivers and trembles and must be held to prevent her snapping at the sinister man. He orders an omelet and some wine, and finds the landlord keeps peeping out at him from a backroom. He begins to muse on whether this man is a rogue and is valuing his possessions, horse and carriage.
A horrid little girl of about twelve then emerges from the back, goes to a cabinet, removes a plain white paper packet and returns to the kitchen, staring at Tredgear all the while. She then brings his omelet, a slab of bread, which she throws onto the dirty table, some dirty silver that she wipes down before leaving, a draught of water, and the wine. Nelly takes as strong a dislike to the girl as she had done to the landlord.
Though disgusted, Tredgear begins to eat his omelet and drinks his wine, to which he adds water against his normal practice. When he has consumed some half of his wine, he suddenly suspects that the wine has been drugged and spits that in his mouth onto the floor. Though he tells himself this is irrational, it is after all the 19th Century, he cannot shake the idea from his head. Then he begins to have vision problems, unable to judge distances, and a tingling and cold sensation in his hands and feet.
He sees the landlord and the girl peeping at him and finally the landlord comes into the room and remarks as to whether the wine is not to his liking. He answers as best he can, but knows he is conscious but not in control. Thankfully, a noisy party comes in and the landlord is called away to them. He dozes and when he regains himself because of Nelly’s barking, he finds the landlord taking another paper, like the first, from the cabinet. He tells Tredgear that he will make him a cup of coffee, and Tredgear realizes he must leave the house immediately, while there are still other people in the building and he cannot be detained.
He struggles to get to the door and outside, where he sees the horrid girl with a blacksmith heading for the stable. When they see him, they detour to an outhouse and Tredgear suspects that they had intended to drive a nail into his horse's foot so that he would not get far if the drugs failed. He harnesses the horse to the carriage with great difficulty. The landlord materializes and tries to insist he return to the house for the coffee or a brandy, but the horse is now ready. Tredgear demands to know his bill, but spills his gold upon the ground while trying to pay. He can barely pick up any of it, but does what he can and then mounts his carriage and begins to trot away.
Suddenly he realizes he has left Nelly behind in the inn. He must return, but he knows the man has now seen his gold, the other people at the bar have gone, and he is feeling even more under the influence of the drug. The landlord is still outside the house, but when asked for the dog, indicates Tredgear will have to go inside and get her himself. He enters the doors and the dog jumps into his arms, but he knows it is too late, for he sees the carriage being led around to the back of the house and the landlord stands between him and the door. He drops the dog outside, then falls himself to the floor at the landlord’s feet.
He wakes in the back of a wagon, a man’s back to him leading the horse, himself looking up at the stars, and Nelly licking his face. He is stiff and chilled, as though he has lain in this position for some time, and he sees the twinkling of a town’s lights in the distance. A sense of well being seizes him and he recognizes the man leading the wagon. He is a man with whom he has done business and formed a friendship in the past, M. Dufay. Dufay assures him that his carriage and horse are behind the wagon and that they will soon be in the town and at a respectable inn.
He is given a meal and put before a fire and he requests food for Nelly so that she will not have to leave his side. Dufay tells him it is primarily because of Nelly that he is still alive. Dufay recounts his part of the story to Tredgear. That morning, Dufay arrived at the inn from which Tredgear had departed and inquired of him. He asked where Tredgear would be likely to stop along the road and the Tete Noire was mentioned, but a boy said no one from their inn would stop there because of its bad character. Dufay set out, knowing he would overtake Tredgear either on the road or at his noon stop.
When he arrived at the Tete Noire, he saw a carriage being taken around to the back of the house, which would not have taken his attention, had he not also seen a small dog barking furiously at the inn door. He recognized the dog to be Nelly. On opening the door, Nelly rushed toward a back stair where Dufay saw Tredgear being dragged by an ill-looking man and girl.
The man dropped Tredgear and Dufay demanded to know what was going on, identified Tredgear as his friend, and said he would immediately remove him from the house. The landlord tried to resist and even threatened to detain Dufay as well, but Dufay assures him that he is expected in Fancy, that it is known when he left Doulaise and that the Tete Noire has been mentioned already as a house of ill-repute between the two. The landlord steps aside but refuses to help carry Tredgear to Dufay’s wagon. Dufay drags his friend from the house, down the steps and manages to tie the two conveyances together and, leading his own horse, walk away from the ill-begotten house.
After hearing Dufay’s tale, Tredgear proclaims he will never be able to speak of this occurrence again, but Dufay tells him cheerily, that he will tell it as a stirring tale on some winter’s night in the future. And, so it has come to pass.
When the story is finished, Jorgan then puts to Mr. Tredgear the same question as was put to Parvis as to whether he had heard of any circumstance such as the one they are inquiring about. His answer, “Never”.
This story is very chilling and, although written by someone else, I believe it would have been the kind of story Dickens himself would have loved. I imagine he had quite an influence on this one and can imagine that he contributed many of the ideas for this story himself. It would be marvelous to be able to distinguish exactly what each man’s contribution was, but that would be like trying to separate Lennon from McCartney in a Beatles song.
This was definitely very suspenseful from the descriptions of the inn and the large room to the eyes of the landlord and the creepy staring girl who doesn't smile - ever. There are suspicious items - like the white wrapped paper taken from the cabinet - that add so much to the atmosphere. I think the atmosphere captured here by Collins et al. is just perfectly thrilling right down to the gray, wet weather.
This story had me glued to my ereader. It was spooky, eerie, mysterious and foreboding all wrapped up in a perfect parcel. I kept thinking about that creepy girl. Her upbringing must have been dismal. I kind of felt sorry for her; she didn't have a chance for a better or happier, sunnier life.
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
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That's interesting, as I could definitely see the influence of Charles Dickens in the first part of chapter 3 (I haven't read Tredgear's story yet, but will be on to it asap. I know we still have over 2 weeks on this story.)
Some expressions were far more in his style. I'll try to find them tomorrow.* Or perhaps you didn't mean this first section by Wilkie Collins, but those written by others?
My "Centennial Dickens" has directed me at this point to a book called "The Nine Christmas Numbers of All the Year Round". There are a few copies on antiquarian book websites and abebooks. Worth a look if you win the lottery ...
*now added a couple of comments later :)
I thought this was a very powerful story. The images of the inn, the girl and the man were drawn so well. I could just about see his ugly head with his wounds. Thanks for the information about the multiple authors. I didn’t realize that this is a similar situation to Golden Mary though it certainly makes sense.
I loved the way the author created an ominous atmosphere at the beginning of Tredgear's story. The inn keeper and the girl were both so strange. It really pulled me in, and I wanted to shout, "Don't eat or drink anything!" This is definitely a story you'll want to read to the end in one sitting.
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
(last edited Aug 01, 2021 05:56AM)
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The most extreme example of this, for me, was the amount of changes he forced on Elizabeth Gaskell during the writing of North and South. Even that title was not her own! She had wanted to call it "Margaret Hale", after the main character. (I do think he was right in that case though.) Their friendship never recovered, but Wilkie Collins - and the authors Sara has told us were contributors to this story collection - clearly accepted the blue pen.
These are a few examples of what I believe might be Charles Dickens's hints of edits to Wilkie Collins, at the start of Chapter 3: "The Club-Night"
1. The first three sentences all start "A Cornish moor ...", giving a quaint story-telling feel. This repetition, specifically 3 times, is a device Charles Dickens often used throughout his works. I don't think Wilkie Collins did, particularly.
2. "The fisherman was accustomed to hold hard weather cheap" - a very Dickensian phrase! Think of Scrooge.
3. The captain's vernacular is very like the first chapters - and very like other sea captains drawn by Charles Dickens. Wilkie Collins did well to imitate this ... or was it "corrected"?
4. "as if he lived underground somewhere hard by" very quirky and Dickensian.
5. The hyperbole: "warmest room ... from which fired and candle streamed reddest and brightest" is very Charles Dickens, as are expression such as "jolly looking chairman".
I could carry on, but it seems to me clear that Charles Dickens had a big input to the middle chapters in this work which are not generally attributed to him. He probably regarded it as part of his mentoring to younger (or less successful) writers.
The subject matter and some of the imagery are common to both writers, but the "ghost of Dickens" is present. I shall be interested to see if a spectral presence is detectable in the extra stories too :)
Jean, I love your detailed thoughts about where you see the hand of Dickens in this story. When I read this third chapter, I can tell (sometimes) that it is not Dickens writing, but I find it difficult to say "why" I feel that way. So I benefit a great deal from your knowledge. Thank you!!Like others have already said, I love the chilling, eerie feeling to this story. From the moment the landlord said the road was almost deserted now that the trains were up and running, I thought look out Tredgear! What really got me was the imminent danger of the poor horse whose foot almost had a nail through it, and poor Nelly locked up alone in that dreadful place. I always get more frightened in stories where innocent animals are in peril.
Yes, thanks Jean, for pointing out those Dickens moments in the text. It helps me to see it more clearly.
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
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Now I can see the switch to Wilkie Collins :) It's such a thrilling sensational tale, and Wilkie Collins was so good at these tales, beloved by Victorians (and some of us :) ). It reminds me of the spooky tale "The Bride's Chamber" he wrote, which was included in one of our other short reads The Lazy Tour Of Two Idle Apprentices. Not in subject matter, but stylistically, and with the ominous sense of foreboding.
Interestingly, Charles Dickens refers to this collaborative work as "conducted" by Charles Dickens".
Sara, I agree it can be hard to tell, but I'm personally convinced that in chapter 3, Charles Dickens wrote the preamble, and the switch to Wilkie Collins comes with John Tredgear's story. This also matches the way he had edited The Wreck of the Golden Mary: Being the Captain's Account of the Loss of the Ship, and the Mate's Account of the Great Deliverance of Her People in an ... Number of Household Words, Christmas, 1856.. Petra put in the linking passages which had been written by Charles Dickens for us, and in my book version of the whole set of stories, it is presented seamlessly, without each story's title but within the longer chapter - much like it is here :)
I wonder what further tales we will have! Thank you so much for choosing this one Sara - I love it! (And also the fact that the little dog Nelly is the true hero :) ) I've found a little bit more about the irritation you mentioned existed between the two authors at this time, and will post this next.
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"A practical arrangement but not a happy one, for Dickens was not the man to run well in double harness. The elaborately contrived plot, at which Collins was adept, was cramping to the natural play of his fancy and humour"
Sara has told us of the irritation between the two authors, although I'm wondering if at least part of it was enduring the miseries of bad hotels, which influenced their mood! Here Charles Dickens refers to his feelings in a letter which he wrote from Bideford (Devon). He and Wilkie Collins had gone there to get some "local colour":
"We had stinking fish for dinner, and have been able to drink nothing, though we have ordered wine, beer and brandy-and-water. There is nothing in the house apart from a two tarts and a pair of snuffers."
This also made me wonder if Wilkie Collins was remembering this disappointment when he thought of the drugged drinks! He used it to form part of a suspenseful story, whereas Charles Dickens might well have written a ridiculous episode from this experience: a burst of nonsense, heightening the absurdity of it.
Thank you, Jean, for all the added information. I have read enough of Collins to believe that the section that precedes this story was primarily written by him. The descriptions of the men caught in the fog seemed particularly like Collins to me. Every time Jorgan chimes in to speak, however, I seem to hear Dickens' voice. I think Dickens was such an influence on Collins that even when he is writing on his own some similarities are evident.Both men were very keen on and very adept at writing ghost stories, eerie adventures and tense situations, but Dickens seems to do it with more humor than Collins. If I had to nail the difference between the two, I would say Dickens has the soul of a poet, while Collins always writes in prose.
Just a personal thought: By the time this was written, Dickens had been mentoring Collins for some ten years. Collins was eleven years his junior, so this was not a friendship of peers, as the friendship with Forster was, but one of less equality. Dickens was both older and established when they met. In the beginning, we are always happy to have the help and direction of our mentors, but there comes a time when we want to fly on our own wings, and I suspect Collins was feeling some of that by this stage. He wanted to write in his own style and feed his own muse, Dickens would have still seen him as needing his help and someone to direct. I think the editor in Dickens was a strong trait (as Jean has pointed out in his dealings with Gaskins). It is interesting to note that Dickens and Gaskins had a falling out, so there may have been an underlying tension between these two men, arising from a change in their relationship, that made this trip and this collaboration more difficult.
The inclusion of the dog is a marvelous device. It lends a bit of character to Tredgear that he takes the dog with him as a companion and that he is willing to go back into such a dangerous situation to rescue the dog, and having the dog be the instrument of his being saved is genius.
The physical descriptions of the innkeeper and the girl reinforce the sense of impending danger from the moment they enter the story. I found both a bit grotesque, particularly the girl. It was difficult to feel sorry for her. Although it was evident that she was under the control of the innkeeper and not orchestrating the drugging herself, she did seem a willing participant. The image of her getting the powder and Tredgear feeling he got an evil look from her gave me chills.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to each comment, but I appreciate every contribution!
BTW, Jean, my edition does not have the stories split out at all. It reads as one continuous chapter, with the stories as simply included where they are presented by the club members. I have simply broken them out separately for our discussion.
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Of course we can never be sure, and what you say about their relationship is spot on. They were by now, different writers with some similarities, and overlapping concerns, but each having their own distinct voice (which is why I gave specific examples to back up my hypothesis).
We have just read an earlier example of Charles Dickens linking the episodes, with his own writing, and although Petra titled the stories from her own research, they too have no titles, just chapter numbers, in this book edition (from which I took the illustrations): The Wreck of the Golden Mary
I suspect each of us has read quite a few short stories and novels by Wilkie Collins, Sara, but stylistically this feels to me more like Charles Dickens's writing in the early section, if you analyse it closely. Having said that, I'll allow that Charles Dickens may have been extremely heavy (i.e. completely overruling as he did with North and South!) with his editorial pen :( We just don't know, but differ in our conclusions.
In the end it does not matter; we just have an interesting puzzle. Each author's voice and what they wanted to express also varied enormously during his lifetime, and the concerns of the later Charles Dickens are completely different from the earlier one. Anyone reading the desperate earnestness of Nobody's Story might be hard put to recognise that Christmas story from 1853 as having the same author as some more optimistic Christmas stories.
Another interesting thought comes from Margaret Lane, who says:
"even those chapters which are known to have belonged to Dickens read as though they were written under constraint".
This is almost the complementary side of what you say about Wilkie Collins being so influenced by (and slightly frustrated yet in awe of) Charles Dickens, that the two voices begin to sound similar.
Please never mind about not responding to each and every post Sara - you are giving us lots to think about here, and we are very grateful. I do appreciate that you have a lot going on in your life right now too, and it's a tremendously challenging time. This is a marvellous group read - please just enjoy it, and we'll be glad to share the nuggets you have prepared :)
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Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"
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It's gone straight back, as you might expect. Sorry for raising your hopes Sara, and everyone.
How disappointing! I have learned "complete" and "unabridged" do not mean the same thing to publishers as they mean to me. We all appreciate so much your efforts to find illustrations for this read, Jean. Alas, I fear this is the one work that remained fallow ground. And, there are so many good, descriptive passages that would have lent themselves to a good illustrator's pen.
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I imagine that, had it been published properly instead of being dissected (which I think would have appalled Dickens), it would have been quite a popular story instead of one no one has heard of.
What a shame, Jean! It feels like censorship when these stories are published in segments like this and The Wreck are. It leaves us modern readers with incomplete and unsatisfactory reads.
I think Dickens would be disappointed to have his stories, regardless of who wrote the bits & pieces, cut up like this.
My ereader copy of The Complete Short Stories of Charles Dickens: 190+ Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition): Christmas Tales, Social Sketches & Children's Stories: ... Pearl-Fishing, Child's Dream of a Star… does contain all 5 chapters of this story but does not include The Beguilement of the Boats for The Wreck.
Perhaps that will help someone find this complete story.
David Polreath’s story: (by Harriett Parr){I found this attributed to Parr in two places, so I believe the bulk of this story must be hers.}
The teetotum is spun and lands upon David Polreath.
The question was, did he throw himself over the cliff of set purpose, or did he lose his way in the dusk and fall over accidentally, or was he pushed over by some person or persons unknown? Thus begins David Polreath’s tale.
A man’s body was found at the bottom of a cliff, down from Ashenfall, and was so badly damaged as to be almost unidentifiable by anyone, Polreath says, except himself. He had observed the man that morning going round to the churchyard, where Honor Livingstone’s grave is, and he sat there for an hour or more on the low wall. He was surprised to see him go there at all, he said, “considering.”
He remembers seeing him there many times with Honor before she committed suicide. He sketched and she watched. Her own grave was a sad place, however, outside the walls and unmarked, buried without a service, as a suicide must be, although Polreath says she was properly religious and no doubt mad when she did it.
His death was ruled an accident, and he got all the trappings of a fine burial, only a stone’s throw from Honor, with a large inscribed headstone. The grave attracts visitors who deem him a great man and famous, but Polreath says James Lawrence was fairly ordinary and only had a bit of luck that thrust him into the limelight. He broke Honor’s heart and, while he was pensioning his mother, which was evidence he cared about her welfare, he never came to visit her once after Honor’s death, even when she herself was dying.
There was much talk in the village about his death, but Polreath does not believe he jumped, fell or was pushed, he believes he was drawn over the edge. Then Polreath pulls from his pocket a small book and says it belonged to Lawrence, was given to Polreath by Lawrence’s cousin, and that it bears his opinion out in Lawrence’s own words.
The journal, dated London August 11, 1829, begins, Honor Livingston has kept her word with me.> He goes on to say he has seen her standing between two lights, looking just as she did when she was alive. He was leaving his quarters, she was not on his mind, when suddenly she was there. It has been a year since she was put into the ground, and Lawrence recalls that he was not exactly afraid, although he did feel his heart throbbing. Not one to believe in ghosts, he decides to keep a diary and document whether Honor, whom others say he as good as murdered, returns to him yearly, as she promised she would do.
”I’ll haunt you until you come to the Ashenfall, where I’m going now!” I might have stopped her, but it never entered my mind what she meant, until it was done. he writes. She threw herself off the fall, but Lawrence claims to have never suspected she was the type, although he admits she loved him and that he encouraged her love, petted her, led her on, and then told her he could never marry her because he was engaged to another woman. At first she refused to believe, and then when she saw he was indeed packing to go away, she went quite mad.
Lawrence recalls seeing Honor, a neighbor girl, with her little brother when he returned home to visit with his mother after a seven year absence, and teasing and flirting with her. She was rosy and saucy. He describes how he reminded her of when they were children and confesses that in his fancy he betrayed his fiancee, Anne, and liked Honor more.
Honor is sweet and lovely and gentle, but Anne, who he says would never love anyone more than herself, is the kind of woman to help a man up in the world and that is the kind of wife he desires. He puts his ambitions above his feelings and the result is Honor, led on and seduced by him, lying dead at the foot of Ashenfall.
When he hears of her death, Lawrence cannot resist going to see Honor’s body, and views her blind mother touching her “cold, dead face.” He wishes he had not gone, but knows he was compelled to do so and feels his own guilt and responsibility. He sees her as Ophelia, the body like and not like herself, and he knows if she has her way she will be a restless spirit and come to haunt him every 10th of August, and continue doing so until he comes to her.
The next entry is dated Hastings, August 11, 1830. Once again, he has forgotten all about Honor until, while sitting on the veranda talking with Anne, she mentions the sky over the down. As he turns to look, he sees Honor standing on the grass, her shadowy shape outlined against the clouds.
Anne exclaims when she sees his face and asks what he has seen, but he says that it was a spasm of his heart. (no irony there, right?) Anne insists he see a doctor, and he foolishly admits the truth to the doctor, who immediately concludes Lawrence is having a mental break. Lawrence goes to great lengths to avoid allowing the doctor and his wife to have any private conversation. He feels ill and anxious, and he determines if he does not improve he must leave for a job he has been offered in South America and make his escape.
London, August 20, 1830. The illness persists, and he begins to see Honor frequently, not standing still anymore, but now beckoning to him. He loses sleep and knows that Anne has grown afraid of him. She asks him to see another doctor in London, and he tells her he cannot as he is going to South America. When she tells him he is in no condition to travel abroad, he strikes her. She calls him a madman and he feels she watches him with terror.
Acapulco, March 17, 1831. Referring to Anne as his “wicked wife”, Lawrence says he has escaped and with another man, Burton, has come out to work in the mining area. He has had a diagnosis of a diseased liver and feels that all his delusions were a part of that. He is feeling fit and clear. Anne tried to commit him to an asylum and, having been prevented, she has returned to her family, forever.
Mexico, April 24, 1831. Lawrence enjoys this place and spends time watching the life of the natives and in the marketplaces. He does not wish to leave.
Moran, July 4, 1831. The two men survey the mines and know changes should be made. The workers are mistreated and worked like animals. Lawrence has some return of his symptoms, but receives treatment and says they have subsided.
Pátzcuaro, August 11, 1831. Lawrence waits in dread on the 10th, but the day passes and Honor does not come. Burton expresses concern for Lawrence, and Lawrence is now sure that Anne has warned his comrades that he is mad and must be watched. He almost seems to regret that Honor did not come and says they might have gone down into hell together since the place he is now in is an accursed one.
New Orleans, February 1832. He has left South America without Burton. Lawrence has taken to drinking. They quarrelled and Burton tried to tell Lawrence that he was a different man under the influence of drink. Lawrence feels, in New Orleans, as if Anne is still having him watched.
Ashendell, August 9, 1839. Lawrence decides to prove he is beyond the control of this curse by returning to Ashendell. After years of traveling in Spain, Russia, and other countries, Lawrence professes to have had no problems since an illness experienced while in Baltimore. He has just found this journal and made this new entry. Honor has failed to appear in most of his travels, but he did see her at Lisbon, when he is almost involved in a shipwreck. She appears again in London when he has an appointment with Anne, and this time she speaks. She tells him the time is almost here and repeats her first threat that he must join her at Ashenfall.
August 10. Lawrence wonders why he allowed himself to return to this place. He also wonders why he and Honor were destined for this fate. He feels the waste of all the years since her death and how he wishes he might undo all the thread of his life back to that moment. He pauses to pray for Honor, then resolves to go and find his traveling companion, Linchley. The sound of the falls comes to him clearly, and he would like to walk by the river, but he says he will not, because if he is to meet Honor on this day it will not be by the falls. When he returns to his lodgings, he finds his friend has gone until the next day, and he is to spend the night alone.
I have the night before me alone; it is not like an English night at all, it is like the nights I remember at Cadiz, which always beraided a tremendous storm. And I think we shall have a storm here, too, before the morning.
These are his last words; the journal ends.
Polreath says it is apparent that Lawrence had one of his mad episodes coming upon him when he left Lisbon and that it grew in him until it beaconed him to his death. He leaves us with this thought, I believe in the ghosts James Lawrence saw, as I believe in the haunting power of any great misdeed that has driven a fellow creature into deadly sin.
Dickensians!
Books mentioned in this topic
A Message from the Sea (other topics)The Wreck of the Golden Mary: Being the Captain's Account of the Loss of the Ship, and the Mate's Account of the Great Deliverance of Her People in an ... Number of Household Words, Christmas, 1856. (other topics)
Great Expectations (other topics)
Dombey and Son (other topics)
The Wreck of the Golden Mary (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Charles Dickens (other topics)
Wilkie Collins (other topics)
John Brougham (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
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