The Old Wives’ Tale - Book 3, Chapter 7, Book 4, Chapters 1 thru 2

[Deborah, Moderator]

Sophia builds a bigger, better guest house and has an illness. I thought possible mini stroke or Bell’s palsy. A friend of Cyril stays in the guest house and recognizes her. He tells Constance. Constance writes Sophia indicating there is unconditional love and acceptance. Sophia sells the guest house and moves in with Constance, only to find life there very uninteresting.

1. What was Sophia’s illness? The cause?

2. What do you think of Constance accepting Sophia as if nothing happened?

3. What do you Sophia will do next?

[Robin P, Moderator]

I thought the way Sophia was found out was in general realistic. She catered to English tourists and the better-off people of the five towns would go to that sort of hotel. The name of Mrs. Scales was apparently memorable to people in town because of the scandal. If her last name had been Brown or Jones, it wouldn't have worked. I have had examples of meeting someone in another country who had an unexpected close connection to someone I know.

I was pleased that the sisters reunited. I didn't think that was going to happen. In a way they hadn't changed. Sophia always despised Bursley as provincial, even when she didn't know anything else. Constance was quite satisfied with her lot. Although Sophia was too busy in later years to go out in Paris, she still felt part of it. I thought of the song, "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?"

Overall it was a huge plus for Constance to have somebody to talk to and live with, but not for Sophia. It seems the dogs took the place of the children and grandchildren they didn't have. I thought of Sophia's dog as some kind of French poodle that was groomed to have fur only in certain places. A contrast to the local mutt.

Constance did have a concern about Sophia not necessarily being a widow. I wonder if somehow talk will spread and some relative of his who has been in touch with Gerald will alert him that his wife has money. My guess is that he would have gone back to England and accepted some sort of family job, if they were still willing to give him one. Maybe he will show up as a traveling salesman again?

The story made it seem like Sophia had a mini-stroke after being found out by her lodger. That seems awfully convenient. I'm not clear what it adds to the story, except to have her realize she can't keep working at the same pace.

Overall, it is a shame that women weren't more able to use their skills in this era. Fortunately, both sisters did have a chance to manage businesses in their prime. If they had been upper-class ladies, they wouldn't have been allowed to do that. I think their mother would have been pleased overall at how they turned out in the end.

[Abigail]

I noticed that Constance’s manner of speaking became more overtly provincial in this section, while Sophia seems to speak the King’s English when she speaks at all, though she is hardly chatty. I can only think she picked it up from the pension guests.

It must be very strange to reunite with someone you have known so intimately but have been estranged from for thirty years. I thought Bennett depicted that fairly well, with its awkward silences overlaid on affectionate goodwill.

[Emmeline]

I greatly enjoyed these sections. As someone living abroad long-term, I have generally thought Bennett portrays the emigrant mindset well, and that includes the reverse culture shock of the return. Sophia finds the town provincial but there is also that lovely moment where she remembers herself as a child and young woman, the cleanness and the beauty of it, and her subsequent life suffers by comparison. The sisters' relationship also struck me as very realistic.

I do think Bennett is a little overeager to heap tragedy on Sophia's existence however. Things might have gone much worse for her... she made a success of herself, and if she didn't leave room for personal happiness in the equation, that's down to her own inflexible character. She might have taken a lover and had a child, but she has always been convinced that she should suffer for her one mistake.

[Abigail]

Excellent points, Emily! Sophia certainly does stand in her own way a lot.

[Renee]

The Balloon was an unexpected means of getting rid of a love interest.

[Abigail]

I felt sorry about Chirac! He seemed like a nice guy, just a product of his culture.

[Frances, Moderator]

Renee wrote: "The Balloon was an unexpected means of getting rid of a love interest."

Yes, it was amusingly bizarre, particularly when they forgot to pack food!

[Frances, Moderator]

I also thought Sophia had a mild stroke or a Transient Ischemic Attack, but anxiety can cause some abnormal tongue spasms/sensations or can cause a feeling of something stuck in the throat/a lump in the throat.

I think that Constance's reaction was quite natural and believable. There might be anger that Sophia had never been in contact (or barely) since leaving but in the end I think that the sisters' underlying love for each other and their desire to reunite overcame the rest. I also think that this is a prime example where family ties run so deep and strong-these 2 women had lived in the same room for 17 years and completely shared their lives and experiences-I am not surprised that in some ways they can pick up almost where they left off.

I rather expect Sophia to spend some time in Bursley and then move back to Paris, except for the fact that she has no friends there and, having sold the Pension, nothing to do. It's hard to imagine her moving back and living a life of leisure, given that she has never done that and therefore hasn't the social connections required.

I am nervous about Gerald returning and claiming Sophia's money as his, except that as he hasn't done that by now perhaps he is dead or has "married" someone else bigamously and knows that he can't return.

[Nancy]

I agree that the interaction between Constance and Sophia seems realistic - two mature women, both virtually alone in the world, loving each other but wary of the problems their differences could cause. They are both lonely and tired (funny how age 50 was considered old in those days!), and keeping up with the modern world has become a challenge, especially to Constance. I have enjoyed this book so much and can’t wait to see how Bennett resolves the various dilemmas facing the sisters.

[Bonnie]

I like how, despite their differences, there is a core of respect for each other.
Sophia on Constance: despite her living here in this provincial town all her life and the house looking grungy, she knows what's what.
Constance on Sophia: despite living in Paris, the fancy stuff and that ridiculous poodle Fifi, she is sensible and understands things.

[Trev]

Emily wrote: "I greatly enjoyed these sections. As someone living abroad long-term, I have generally thought Bennett portrays the emigrant mindset well, and that includes the reverse culture shock of the return.

She might have taken a lover and had a child, but she has always been convinced that she should suffer for her one mistake. ..."

I think that this quote sums up Sophia’s predicament regarding intimate relationships.

’ But all the time she knew that she wanted love. Only, she conceived a different kind of love: placid, regular, somewhat stern, somewhat above the plane of whims, moods, caresses, and all mere fleshly contacts. Not that she considered that she despised these things (though she did)! What she wanted was a love that was too proud, too independent, to exhibit frankly either its joy or its pain. She hated a display of sentiment. And even in the most intimate abandonments she would have made reserves, and would have expected reserves, trusting to a lover’s powers of divination, and to her own!’

Chirac was kept at bay just because of this even though she really liked him. His eventual departure was depressing for her but she knew that because of her own expectations it had become inevitable.

The balloon escapade was a direct reference to the escapes made by balloon during the siege of Paris in 1870. More about that here….

https://www.the-low-countries.com/art...

[Abigail]

Interesting that you should highlight that quote, Trev, because it seems a good description of the love she eventually had with Constance—“placid, regular, somewhat stern.” She settled for that and ceased to hope for a romantic partner because “the most intimate abandonments” were less important to her.

[Lori, Moderator]

It should be around 1896 or so, right? At that time, would Gerald still be able to claim Sophia's money if he showed up?

I was worried about Sophia returning since the townspeople seem to behave like dunderheads whenever anything out of the ordinary happens. That might happen in the next chapter.

I think she should buy a nice place in London. It's sophisticated enough to keep her happy and she'd be near Cyril. She could go see Constance as often as she wants, and it might not be too far for Constance to travel to see her (and she could spend more time with her son).

[Bonnie]

Lori wrote: "It should be around 1896 or so, right? At that time, would Gerald still be able to claim Sophia's money if he showed up?"

Very worried about that,

I agree about the place in London too!