I Say No - Week 7

[Deborah, Moderator]

Last chapter for this section: Alban Sees His Way

Emily is in her cottage and is miserable after learning she’s been deceived about her father’s death. She is very angry with Alban because he knew and didn’t tell her. Mrs. Ellsmother shares some of the details about the death, and why Emily was not told. Mirabel comes to visit and sends for the doctor. Emily seems to hold him in higher esteem than Alban at the moment. Miss Ladd learns of Francine’s telling Emily. We learn that Miss Jethro was in love with Emily’s father. Mirabel faints during a conversation with Emily about the murder as he is the man everybody has been seeking.

What do you think about Emily’s new opinion of Alban? Of Mirabel?

How does Miss Jethro fit into the mystery?

Who do you consider Emily’s true friends?

[Frances, Moderator]

I am surprised at Emily's harsh reaction to Alban-whether he was right or not to shield her from the truth, she must see that he had her best interests at heart, and it is surprising that she wants to push him away so completely.

I still don't have a good sense of where Miss Jethro fits into all this-I must confess that I have a bit of difficulty holding this novel in my mind-I'm not sure why, perhaps it simply isn't gripping me as much as other Collins novels have.

At this point it appears Emily's true friends are Alban Morris, Mrs Ellmother and Cecilia, although Cecilia is clearly too trusting and naïve to be of much help.

[Trev]

Things are turning nasty for Emily. She now knows that the man from whom she has just allowed a kiss (Alban,) has in fact deceived her. In coming to a realisation that she must love him, his deceit over her father’s death has hit her the hardest. The fact that he was protecting her does not count in her eyes, it was the deceit of a man she loved and trusted that has caused her so much pain. In fact she has become blinded to everything else except avenging her father’s death.

‘Over love, over friendship, over the natural enjoyment of her young life, predominated the blighting resolution which bound her to avenge her father's death.’

With all her ‘friends’ seemingly against her plan to find her father’s murderer (except the disgraced Alban,) Emily is ripe for falling in to the clutches of the ‘wretch’ that is Mirabel. (Wretch is the authors’s description of Mirabel, not mine, although I agree with him.) Mirabel’s guilt in the crime seems to be more and more likely and Emily could be unwittingly aiding and abetting her father’s murderer if she agrees to do as he says. However, she feels so alone and, despite her determination to focus on finding her father’s killer, has such an acute perception of the dangers which could befall a woman acting alone.

’ No! A young girl following, or attempting to follow, that career, must reckon with insult and outrage—paying their abominable tribute to her youth and her beauty, at every turn. What proportion would the men who might respect her bear to the men who might make her the object of advances, which it was hardly possible to imagine without shuddering.’

Unfortunately there could be even greater danger even closer at hand in the form of Mirabel and his sister, who seems to condone her brother’s actions.

Unlike Emily, Mrs. Ellsmother soon saw through Mirabel’s smarmy cavorting with Emily and still believes in Alban. I hope he can come to her rescue, somehow convincing her that it is Mirabel that is the wretch and not himself.

[Nancy]

I certainly agree that Mirabel is a wretch and was somehow involved in the death of Emily's father, but I'm beginning to believe that he is not actually the murderer. There are two places in Chapter LV where the phraseology makes me wonder. In the second paragraph, he thinks of how he fled from the inn, went into hiding, and knew he was suspected of the murder. The word "suspected" makes me wonder if Collins is trying to communicate doubt of Mirabel's guilt to the reader. Also, in his letter to his sister, he writes, "Two persons only know that I am the man who escaped from the inn at Zeeland." His emphasis on his escape rather than the murder is another hint to me that he may not be the killer, although he is undoubtedly guilty of something. I may be way off base, but both passages really struck me. Now I can only hope that Alban comes to the rescue and saves Emily from Mirabel's clutches before she marries him.

[Frances, Moderator]

Nancy wrote: "I certainly agree that Mirabel is a wretch and was somehow involved in the death of Emily's father, but I'm beginning to believe that he is not actually the murderer. There are two places in Chapte..."

Agree-he’s becoming increasingly unattractive-weak and “unmanly”, but I also thought there were hints he isn’t the murderer.