Basil · Chapter
XI explained
Basil meets with Mr.
What happens
Basil meets with Mr. Sherwin to discuss the terms of his engagement to Margaret. Mr. Sherwin proposes a secret marriage with a year's delay before the union is publicly acknowledged, to protect Margaret's reputation should Basil's family intervene. Basil agrees to the plan, feeling the weight of the deception. He then avoids his sister Clara, leaves London for two days to endure his suspense, and upon his return, he is finally allowed to see Margaret alone, declaring his love before being interrupted by her father.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Deception
The entire engagement is built on a foundation of secrecy, with Basil agreeing to a hidden marriage to protect Margaret's reputation, which weighs heavily on him.
Social Class and Pride
Mr. Sherwin's concerns about Margaret's reputation are rooted in the social disparity between Basil's family and his own, highlighting the importance of class in marriage.
Forbidden Love and Marriage
Basil's love for Margaret is forbidden by his family, forcing the couple into a clandestine arrangement that defies social expectations.
Characters to notice
- Basil
Agrees to Mr. Sherwin's proposal for a secret marriage, feeling the burden of deceit. He avoids his sister Clara and leaves London for two days to endure his suspense before returning to see Margaret.
- Mr. Sherwin
Proposes a secret marriage with a year's delay to protect Margaret's reputation. He is eager to secure the advantageous match and arranges for the license and a wedding date.
- Margaret Sherwin
Basil finally gets to speak with her alone. She smiles and lets him take her hand, but speaks little.
- Clara
Basil avoids her when he returns home, feeling a sense of humiliation for the first time as he hides his secret from his sister.
- Mrs. Sherwin
Sits far away from her daughter during Basil's visit, remaining silent and still.
Key passages
“A year to wait! At first, this seemed a long trial to endure, a trial that ought not to be imposed on me. But the next moment, the delay appeared in a different light.”
Initially, the year-long wait felt like an unbearable burden, but Basil quickly saw it as a chance to spend more time with Margaret.
Basil's initial reaction to the proposed delay in his marriage.
“It was the first time I had ever avoided my sister—my sister, who had never in her life asked a question, or uttered a word that could annoy me; my sister, who had confided all her own little secrets to my keeping, ever since we had been children.”
Basil felt a deep sense of shame for the first time as he hid his secret from Clara, his ever-supportive sister.
Basil's guilt over deceiving his sister Clara.
“I could have sat at the window with Margaret the long night through; without an idea of numbering the hours as they passed.”
Basil was so lost in his happiness with Margaret that he lost all track of time.
Basil's joy and contentment while in Margaret's presence.