A Pair of Blue Eyes · Chapter
XIV explained
Nearly three-quarters of a year have passed.
What happens
Nearly three-quarters of a year have passed. Stephen is in India working in Bombay. Elfride has moved with her father and stepmother to a new house in Kensington, and the family is in London for the season. In Hyde Park, they encounter Lord Luxellian and his family. Lord Luxellian tells Elfride about a negative review of her novel in The Present, which she had not seen. He invites her to ride with his children. Meanwhile, Henry Knight, a distant cousin of Mrs. Swancourt, observes the scene from a distance and eventually approaches the carriage.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Ambition
The Swancourts' move to Kensington and their participation in London high society reflect their social ascent. Mrs. Swancourt corrects Elfride's use of 'gentlemen,' highlighting class distinctions.
Innocence and Experience
Elfride's naivety is shown in her pleasure at being stared at and her ignorance of the negative review. Lord Luxellian's revelation introduces her to the harsh realities of literary criticism.
Characters to notice
- Elfride Swancourt
Elfride is now in London with her family, enjoying the social scene. She learns of a critical review of her novel from Lord Luxellian and is disturbed by the news.
- Stephen Smith
Stephen is in India, working in Bombay and traveling on professional errands. He is experiencing the prosperity of the region.
- Mr. Swancourt
Mr. Swancourt has moved with the family to Kensington and enjoys the social status brought by his marriage to Mrs. Swancourt.
- Mrs. Swancourt
Mrs. Swancourt is now living in London with her husband and stepdaughter. She offers sharp observations about society and recognizes Henry Knight as a distant cousin.
- Lord Luxellian
Lord Luxellian meets the Swancourts in Hyde Park, informs Elfride about the review in The Present, and invites her to ride with his children. He looks at her with admiration.
- Henry Knight
Henry Knight is introduced as a distant cousin of Mrs. Swancourt. He observes Elfride from a distance before approaching the carriage.
Key passages
“We frolic while ’tis May.”
We enjoy ourselves while we can, before the season of youth and happiness passes.
Opening line of the chapter, setting a tone of fleeting joy.
“She could slough off a sadness and replace it by a hope as easily as a lizard renews a diseased limb.”
Elfride could quickly recover from sorrow and replace it with optimism, much like a lizard regenerates a lost tail.
Describes Elfride's resilient and changeable emotional nature.
“I always am a listener in such places as these—not to the narratives told by my neighbours’ tongues, but by their faces—the advantage of which is, that whether I am in Row, Boulevard, Rialto, or Prado, they all speak the same language.”
Mrs. Swancourt claims she reads people's expressions rather than their words, a skill that works in any social setting.
Mrs. Swancourt's commentary on her ability to interpret people through their faces.
“We have handed over ‘gentlemen’ to the lower middle class, where the word is still to be heard at tradesmen’s balls and provincial tea-parties, I believe. It is done with here.”
Mrs. Swancourt tells Elfride that the term 'gentlemen' is no longer used in high society, only among the lower middle class.
Illustrates the strict social codes and class distinctions of Victorian London.
