A Strange Disappearance · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green.
Chapter 1
I: A Novel Case
The detective Q recounts a new case to his colleagues, involving the mysterious disappearance of a sewing girl named Emily from the home of Mr. Blake on Second Avenue. The housekeeper, Mrs. Daniels, arrives at the police station in great agitation, insisting the girl was taken against her will during the night. She describes hearing whispering from Emily's room, finding signs of struggle, and a ladder left by a construction extension. Q agrees to investigate discreetly, and they enter the Blake mansion through the back door to avoid Mr. Blake's notice.
Chapter 2
A Few Points
Mr. Gryce and a detective investigate the disappearance of Emily, a sewing girl, from the Blake residence. Mrs. Daniels leads them to the third-story back room, where they find signs of a struggle and evidence that the girl left through the window. Mr. Blake, the master of the house, is dismissive but reluctantly agrees to inspect the room after Mrs. Daniels shows hesitation and alarm.
Chapter 3
The Contents of a Bureau Drawer
Mr. Gryce and the narrator investigate Emily's room, discovering a hidden bureau drawer containing a blue silk dress, lace collar, gold breastpin, and withered roses. Mrs. Daniels fiercely protects the drawer from Mr. Blake, then later reveals her deep emotional investment in finding Emily, offering her savings and hinting at unknown benefactors. Mr. Gryce probes for clues, noting Mrs. Daniels' evasiveness about Emily's past and her insistence that Emily was forced to leave. The detective also secretly examines Mr. Blake's private room, finding a portrait of a woman and a rug oddly placed, sparking his curiosity.
Chapter 4
IV: Thompson's Story
Mr. Gryce and the narrator investigate the disappearance of the sewing-girl from Mr. Blake's house. Mr. Blake proves unhelpful, claiming he knows nothing about the girl. The narrator learns from a patrolman that Thompson saw a woman flee from Mr. Blake's gate after seeing the master's face through the bars. The narrator gathers background on Mr. Blake's reclusive habits and his past connection to his cousin Evelyn Blake, now the Countess De Mirac.
Chapter 5
V: A New York Belle
The detective, frustrated by the lack of progress in the missing girl case, learns from Fanny about Mrs. Daniels' strange behavior. He decides to follow Mr. Blake to the Charity Ball, where he observes a tense reunion between Mr. Blake and the Countess De Mirac (formerly Evelyn Blake). Their conversation reveals a past romance and mutual recriminations, ending with Mr. Blake declaring their relationship has no future.
Chapter 6
VI: A Bit of Calico
The narrator takes up residence in a lodging-house opposite Mr. Blake's corner to observe his increasingly restless behavior. Mr. Blake spends his days walking the streets, shifting from fashionable thoroughfares to the dark, narrow streets of the East Side, clearly searching for a woman. The narrator follows him for three days, noting his disregard for danger and his fixation. On the fourth day, Mr. Blake suddenly accosts a poorly dressed girl in the Bowery, speaks with her, then separates. The narrator tries to follow the girl but loses her, finding only a bit of calico rag as a clue. Later, the narrator learns Mr. Blake is preparing for a journey to Putney, Vermont, and follows him, disguised as a drummer.
Chapter 7
VII: The House at the Granby Cross Roads
The narrator follows Mr. Blake on a mysterious journey to a remote Vermont village. After a long and secretive trip involving a stagecoach and a horse ride, Mr. Blake arrives at a deserted inn at the Granby Cross Roads. He examines a pistol, tries to enter the locked house, fails, and returns to Melville. The narrator then questions local children about the house, learning it is a place of fear.
Chapter 8
A Word Overheard
The narrator visits the Countess De Mirac under the pretense of selling an antique placque, observing her changed demeanor and reading part of a letter she was writing. Later, Fanny recounts overhearing a tense encounter between Mrs. Daniels, the Countess, and Mr. Blake, including the Countess's exclamation about crime entering their family.
Chapter 9
IX: A Few Golden Hairs
Mr. Gryce and the narrator investigate a body found in the East River, which matches the description of a missing girl but has golden hair instead of black, leading them to question Fanny's earlier testimony. The discovery of a comb with golden hairs under a bureau suggests deception, while the Schoenmakers remain at large and the mystery deepens.
Chapter 10
X: The Secret of Mr. Blake's Studio
Mr. Gryce and his assistant wait for Mr. Blake after a dinner party, then confront him about the missing seamstress. Gryce details the evidence: the girl's comfortable room, the torn curtains, blood on the roof, a pearl-handled knife, and Mrs. Daniels' fearful behavior. Mr. Blake initially feigns indifference, but Gryce insists on taking him to his private studio, where he turns a portrait of the Countess De Mirac to reveal a hidden, mesmerizing face on the reverse side.
Chapter 11
XI: Luttra
Mr. Blake reveals to Mr. Gryce and his companion that the woman in the portrait is his lawful wife, though never acknowledged. He recounts his past: his father's strict expectations, his love for his cousin Evelyn, and a fateful encounter during his travels with a young woman named Luttra, who defied her father and brother to help him escape a dangerous storm. The chapter ends with Luttra's daring intervention to secure his departure from the perilous house.
Chapter 12
XII: A Woman’s Love
Mr. Blake recounts his marriage to Luttra, a humble waif he chose to satisfy his father's demand for a wife who would not rival Evelyn Blake. He describes their hasty wedding in Troy, his initial shock at her beauty, and her heroic rescue of him during a storm in Vermont. After overhearing his regretful words, Luttra leaves him, declaring she will remain his wife in name only until he truly needs her.
Chapter 13
XIII: A Man’s Heart
Mr. Blake recounts the story of his secret marriage to Luttra, his father's shock and death, his growing obsession with Luttra's image, and his desperate search for her after she disappeared. He describes painting her portrait, his failed attempts to find her, and his suspicion that the missing sewing girl may be connected to Luttra.
Chapter 14
XIV: Mrs. Daniels
Mrs. Daniels reveals that the girl she harbored was Mr. Blake's wife, who disguised herself with a black wig and swore her to secrecy. She confesses she believed the girl was dead after seeing a body at the Morgue, but Mr. Blake and Mr. Gryce assure her the body is not his wife. The chapter ends with a renewed determination to find the missing woman, now understood to have been taken by her father and brother.
Chapter 15
A Confab
Mr. Gryce and the narrator debate the likely hiding place of the Schoenmakers and the abducted Mrs. Blake, concluding that the gang is probably lying low near Mr. Blake's house in preparation for a blackmail scheme, while a search of the German quarter and other districts is also ordered.
Chapter 16
XVI: The Mark of the Red Cross
Mr. Gryce recounts his detective work tracking the Schoenmakers, discovering a red chalk cross on a door that leads him to realize the fugitives are living in the same boarding house as he is. He devises a strategy to capture them while protecting Mrs. Blake from scandal.
Chapter 17
The Capture
The detective, having received a cryptic note from Mr. Gryce, orchestrates a plan to capture the Schoenmakers. He tricks the youngest Schoenmaker into leaving, then disguises himself as Mrs. Blake to lure the father into a vulnerable position. With the help of Mr. Gryce and other officers, the father is subdued and bound. The detective then re-chalks the red cross on the door, setting the stage for the capture of the second rascal.
Chapter 18
Love and Duty
Mr. Blake confronts his wife Luttra's father and brother after their arrest, vowing to keep their connection secret. Luttra, however, refuses to return to him as his wife, arguing that her family's criminal past would bring shame upon his proud household. She chooses to sacrifice her own happiness and remain apart, dedicating herself to a humble life of good deeds rather than burden him with her disgrace.
Chapter 19
Explanations
Mr. Blake, overwhelmed with emotion, sends a note to Mrs. Daniels. Luttra bids a painful farewell to her father, who is taken away by detectives. She then explains to Mr. Blake, Mrs. Daniels, and the Countess De Mirac how she was forced to leave the house to protect her husband from her escaped convict father and brother, who had entered through a window for robbery and then blackmailed her. She recounts her self-inflicted wound, her escape attempt, and her subsequent weeks of imprisonment.
Chapter 20
XX: The Bond That Unites
Mr. Blake reveals his father's will, which names Luttra as the heir to the Blake fortune. Luttra tears up the will, insisting that love alone should unite them. At their wedding reception hosted by the Countess De Mirac, Mrs. Daniels and the Countess urge Luttra to accept her place as Mr. Blake's wife, but Luttra hesitates until Mrs. Daniels produces the will, which Mr. Blake reads aloud.
