Cousin Henry · Chapter
Cousin Henry Goes to Carmarthen explained
Cousin Henry receives a letter from Mr.
What happens
Cousin Henry receives a letter from Mr. Apjohn summoning him to Carmarthen to prepare instructions for counsel in the libel case. A clerk delivers the letter and pressures Henry to comply, vividly describing the terrifying barrister Mr. Cheekey who will cross-examine him. Henry vacillates between revealing the hidden will and clinging to the estate, ultimately agreeing to go but opting for a fly instead of his own carriage to avoid public scrutiny. In Mr. Apjohn's office, he gives evasive instructions, claiming he only suspected a later will but never saw it.
Themes in this chapter
Guilt and Conscience
Cousin Henry's internal torment over the hidden will and his fear of exposure by Mr. Cheekey highlight his overwhelming guilt and troubled conscience.
Isolation and Paranoia
Henry feels persecuted by the clerk's insinuations, fears public scrutiny in Carmarthen, and is trapped by his own indecision, deepening his isolation.
Characters to notice
- Cousin Henry
Torn between fear of exposure and desire to keep the estate; reluctantly agrees to go to Carmarthen and gives cautious instructions to Mr. Apjohn.
- Mr. Apjohn
Summons Cousin Henry to his office to prepare legal instructions; becomes confused and doubtful after Henry's evasive answers.
- Mr. Ricketts
The clerk who delivers the letter and pressures Cousin Henry to come to Carmarthen, vividly describing the terrors of Mr. Cheekey.
- Mr. Balsam
Mentioned as the barrister employed on Cousin Henry's behalf at the assizes.
- Mr. Cheekey
Described by the clerk as a terrifying barrister who will cross-examine Cousin Henry, threatening to 'skin' him in court.
Key passages
“I don't see why I should go into Carmarthen at all.”
Cousin Henry resists the summons, trying to avoid the legal preparation.
Shows his reluctance and fear of facing the legal process.
“They've got Mr. Cheekey! ... He looks into a man and sees that it's there, and then he turns him inside out till he gets at it. That's what I call skinning a witness.”
The clerk warns that the opposing barrister will mercilessly expose any hidden truth during cross-examination.
Vividly captures Henry's terror of being publicly unmasked.
“Why had he not possessed the presence of mind to say to the clerk at once that no further steps need be taken? 'No further steps need be taken. I have found the will. Here it is.'”
Henry regrets not confessing to the clerk about finding the will and ending his ordeal.
Illustrates his paralysis and missed opportunity to relieve his guilt.