# XIV: Mrs. Daniels explained — A Strange Disappearance

> Chapter companion for A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Social Reputation

Mrs. Daniels' oath of secrecy and the hidden identity of Mr. Blake's wife drive the chapter's tension and reveal the costs of concealment.

### Love and Sacrifice

Mr. Blake's declaration of love and Mrs. Daniels' emotional relief highlight the sacrifices made for love and loyalty.

### Family and Control

The revelation that the girl was taken by her father and brother underscores the theme of familial coercion and control.

## Character check-ins

### Mrs. Daniels

Reveals the secret of harboring Mr. Blake's wife, confesses her oath and her fear, and expresses relief upon learning the body is not her charge.

### Mr. Blake

Confronts Mrs. Daniels, learns the girl was his wife, and declares his love and determination to find her.

### Mr. Gryce

Urges Mrs. Daniels to speak, and later confirms that the body in the river is not Mrs. Blake.

### The Girl

Revealed to be Mr. Blake's wife, disguised with a black wig, and forced away by her father and brother.

## Key lines

> “O,” cried she, sinking into a chair from sheer inability to stand, “it was your wife, Mr. Blake, the young creature you⁠—”

Mrs. Daniels, overwhelmed, confesses that the girl she hid was Mr. Blake's wife.

_Key revelation of the girl's identity._

> “Because I have just come from the Morgue where she lies dead.”

Mrs. Daniels says she saw the girl's body at the Morgue.

_Mistaken belief that the wife is dead._

> “No, a thousand times no; the girl was a perfect stranger.”

Mr. Gryce insists the body in the river is not Mrs. Blake.

_Correction of the mistaken identity._

> “You love her? O thank God!” she again reiterated but this time in a low murmur to her self. “Thank God!”

Mrs. Daniels rejoices upon hearing Mr. Blake loves his wife.

_Emotional turning point for Mrs. Daniels._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_strange_disappearance_se/chapters/xiv-mrs-daniels
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- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_strange_disappearance_se/chapters