Lost Man’s Lane · Chapter
I Am Tempted explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Gryce reveals to Miss Butterworth a series of mysterious disappearances in the village of X, located in the Berkshire Hills. He describes four unsolved cases over five years, including a peddler, a young law clerk, an elderly book salesman, and a young man. Despite police efforts, no clues have been found. Gryce hints that a woman's insight might be needed to solve the case, and Miss Butterworth realizes that X is where her deceased friend Althea Knollys's children live, stirring her interest.
Themes in this chapter
Detection and Investigation
Mr. Gryce details the police's failed efforts and suggests that a new, unsuspected investigator is needed to solve the disappearances.
Secrecy and Deception
The town of X harbors a hidden mystery; Gryce implies that the detective must blend in and avoid arousing suspicion.
Isolation and Community
The village's remote location and close-knit nature contribute to the mystery, as disappearances occur in broad daylight without witnesses.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Gryce
Visits Miss Butterworth to share details of the mysterious disappearances in X and subtly suggests her involvement.
- Amelia Butterworth
Listens to Gryce's account, initially resists his implied invitation, but is tempted upon learning X is home to Althea Knollys's children.
- Althea Knollys
Mentioned as Miss Butterworth's deceased school chum whose children live in X, motivating her interest.
- Mr. Trohm
Identified as a leading citizen of X who helped secure New York police services; his house is marked on Gryce's map.
- Deacon Spear
Mentioned as a resident whose house is near the scene of one disappearance; Gryce describes him as well-meaning.
- Mother Jane
A harmless imbecile living in a hut near the woods; Gryce notes she is not suspected.
Key passages
“Some ninety miles from here, in a more or less inaccessible region, there is a small but interesting village, which has been the scene of so many unaccountable disappearances that the attention of the New York police has at last been directed to it.”
A remote village about ninety miles away has experienced several mysterious disappearances, prompting the New York police to investigate.
Mr. Gryce introduces the setting of the mystery to Miss Butterworth.
“The old fox was so sure of his triumph that he did not wait to witness it. He knew—how, it is easy enough for me to understand now—that X was a place I had often threatened to visit.”
Mr. Gryce was confident Miss Butterworth would be drawn into the case because he knew she had long planned to visit X.
Miss Butterworth realizes Gryce manipulated her curiosity by revealing the town's connection to her friend's children.