# XLVII: The Last Chance explained — Man and Wife > Chapter companion for Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins. ## What happens Sir Patrick Lundie rushes to Holchester House to inform Lady Holchester of Geoffrey Delamayn's marriage to Anne Silvester, hoping to prevent Geoffrey from being disinherited and to protect Anne's safety. Lady Holchester, prejudiced against Anne, refuses to tell her dying husband, but allows Sir Patrick to consult executor Mr. Marchwood. Marchwood reveals that Lord Holchester had refused to sign a codicil providing for Geoffrey until Anne Silvester could be found and questioned, and that a second codicil leaving her a legacy is now void due to her marriage. As Sir Patrick urges that Geoffrey has wronged Anne and married her, the doctor announces Lord Holchester's death. ## Themes in this chapter ### Law and Injustice The codicil's provisions and the legal technicalities surrounding Anne's marriage render her legacy void, highlighting the inflexibility of law in the face of human suffering. ### Betrayal and Deception Geoffrey's secret marriage and his family's ignorance of it, along with Lady Holchester's prejudiced view of Anne, underscore the theme of deception. ### Suffering and Resilience Anne's precarious position as an obstacle to Geoffrey's ambitions and the threat to her safety reflect her suffering, while Sir Patrick's efforts show resilience on her behalf. ## Character check-ins ### Sir Patrick Lundie Determined to protect Anne's safety and interests, he confronts Lady Holchester and later Mr. Marchwood, revealing the marriage and urging action. ### Lady Holchester Geoffrey's mother, initially hostile to Anne, she reluctantly allows Sir Patrick to speak with executor Mr. Marchwood. ### Geoffrey Delamayn Mentioned as the younger son whose marriage to Anne is revealed, and whose father's codicil remains unsigned. ### Anne Silvester Revealed as Geoffrey's wife; her safety and the voiding of a legacy codicil are central to the chapter's conflict. ### Mr. Marchwood Executor of Lord Holchester's will, he informs Sir Patrick of the unsigned codicil and the deathbed conditions. ### Lord Holchester Dying peer who refused to sign a codicil for Geoffrey until Anne Silvester was found; dies at the chapter's end. ## Key lines > Her life may depend on what I can do for her at Holchester House! Sir Patrick believes that Anne's safety is at stake and that his mission to Holchester House is critical. _Shows Sir Patrick's urgent motivation to protect Anne from Geoffrey's potential retaliation._ > I am compelled to trespass on your ladyship's attention for a few minutes more... The circumstances attending the marriage of Mr. Geoffrey Delamayn are of no common importance. Sir Patrick insists on explaining the details of Geoffrey's marriage despite Lady Holchester's desire to end the interview. _Highlights Sir Patrick's determination to convey the gravity of the situation._ > Find Anne Silvester... and bring her to my bedside. ... If Anne Silvester herself acquits him of having wronged her, I will provide for Geoffrey. Not otherwise. Lord Holchester demands to hear directly from Anne before signing the codicil that would give Geoffrey an income. _Reveals Lord Holchester's personal conscience and the condition that now cannot be fulfilled._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xlvii-the-last-chance - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/man_and_wife_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters