Lady Audley’s Secret · Chapter
II: On Board the Argus explained
George Talboys, a young man returning to England after three and a half years in the Australian gold diggings, is aboard the ship Argus.
What happens
George Talboys, a young man returning to England after three and a half years in the Australian gold diggings, is aboard the ship Argus. He tells a fellow passenger, Miss Morley, the story of his marriage to a penniless girl, his financial struggles, his decision to seek his fortune in Australia, and his eventual success. As the voyage nears its end, he becomes increasingly anxious about his wife's welfare, fearing that something may have happened to her during his long absence.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
George's marriage to Helen is portrayed as a love match, but it is tested by poverty and separation.
Social Class and Ambition
George's rise from poverty to wealth through the gold diggings illustrates themes of social mobility and ambition.
Secrecy and Deception
George's long silence and failure to write to his wife during his absence introduces an element of secrecy and potential deception.
Characters to notice
- George Talboys
The protagonist of the chapter, a young man returning to England after making his fortune in the Australian gold diggings. He is anxious about his wife's welfare.
- Miss Morley
A governess traveling to England to marry a man she has been engaged to for fifteen years. She listens to George's story and tries to comfort him.
- Mr. Maldon
George's father-in-law, described as a drunken old hypocrite who fleeced George and his wife of their money.
- Helen Talboys
George's wife, who is not present in the chapter but is the subject of George's story and his anxious thoughts.
- Georgey
George and Helen's infant son, mentioned as being born during George's financial struggles.
Key passages
“I listened to these men for upward of an hour, following them up and down the pier, with my pipe in my mouth, and hearing all their talk. After this I fell into conversation with them myself, and ascertained that there was a vessel going to leave Liverpool in three days, by which vessel one of the men was going out. This man gave me all the information I required, and told me, moreover, that a stalwart young fellow, such as I was, could hardly fail to do well in the diggings. The thought flashed”
George overheard two men discussing the Australian gold diggings, and after talking with them, he learned that a ship was leaving for Australia in three days. One of the men encouraged him, saying a strong young man like him could succeed there.
George describes the moment he decided to seek his fortune in Australia.
“I have been praying,” he said—“praying for my darling.” He spoke in a voice little above a whisper, and she saw his face ineffably calm in the moonlight.”
George told Miss Morley that he had been praying for his wife, and his face looked peaceful in the moonlight.
George's anxiety about his wife leads him to prayer.