David Harum · Chapter
Chapter XLI explained
In John's fifth winter in Homeville, the bank's business has grown significantly with new manufactories and merchants transferring accounts from Syrchester.
What happens
In John's fifth winter in Homeville, the bank's business has grown significantly with new manufactories and merchants transferring accounts from Syrchester. A new railroad has been built, causing a contentious split between the 'nabobs' and 'village people.' David recounts how he neutralized Lawyer Staples' opposition by presenting a subscription paper for funds, effectively silencing him without spending money.
Themes in this chapter
Horse Trading and Moral Ambiguity
David's manipulation of Lawyer Staples through a subscription paper exemplifies the shrewd, morally ambiguous tactics used in local politics and business.
Rural vs. Urban Life
The railroad controversy highlights the tension between local village interests and outside 'nabob' influences, a key aspect of rural-urban dynamics.
Character and Reputation
Lawyer Staples' reputation as a principled man is undermined by his willingness to abandon his stance when faced with a financial commitment.
Characters to notice
- David Harum
Narrates the story of how he outmaneuvered Lawyer Staples in the railroad controversy using a subscription paper.
- John Lenox
Cashier at the bank, listening to David's story and noting the growth of the bank's business.
- Peleg Hopkins
Mentioned as having fledged from a callow youth into a competent all-round man in the office.
- Lawyer Staples
The lawyer who switched sides in the railroad dispute after David's intervention with a subscription paper.
- Mr. Smith
Referenced in David's anecdote about a church meeting where a request for a dollar silenced an enthusiastic participant.
Key passages
“The callow Hopkins had fledged and developed into a competent all-’round man, able to do anything in the office, and there was a new “skeezicks” discharging Peleg’s former functions.”
Peleg Hopkins had matured from an inexperienced youth into a capable employee, and a new junior clerk had taken over his old duties.
Describes Peleg's growth and the expansion of the bank's staff.
“I ast him fer a dollar for For’n Missions, says Brother Jones, ‘an’, wa’al,’ I says to Tenaker, ‘that’s what I done to Staples.’”
I asked him for a dollar for Foreign Missions, and that's exactly what I did to Staples.
David explains his tactic of asking Staples for a financial commitment to silence his opposition.