# The Summons Comes for Mr. Standfast explained — Mr. Standfast > Chapter companion for Mr. Standfast by John Buchan. ## What happens After a brief sleep, Hannay awakens to a tense, quiet morning following the previous day's battle. He reflects on the desperate situation, the loss of Launcelot Wake, and the precarious defense against the German forces. With the French relief not yet arrived, he fears a renewed enemy attack. Archie Roylance reports heavy German preparations. Hannay's mood shifts from anxiety to a renewed sense of hope and fortitude, thinking of his comrades and Mary, before Archie spots enemy aircraft approaching. ## Themes in this chapter ### Sacrifice and Loss The chapter focuses on the deaths of Peter Pienaar and Launcelot Wake, with Hannay reflecting on their sacrifices and the cost of war. ### Fortitude and Endurance Hannay and his men endure extreme fatigue and the strain of waiting, yet find renewed resolve and hope in the face of overwhelming odds. ### Comradeship and Loyalty The bond between Hannay, Archie, Blenkiron, and the fallen Wake and Pienaar is highlighted, emphasizing their mutual support and shared purpose. ## Character check-ins ### Richard Hannay Hannay awakens from a deep sleep, reflects on the battle and the loss of Wake, and struggles with the tension of waiting for the French relief. He experiences a shift in mood from anxiety to hope. ### Sir Archibald Roylance Archie has been up all night supervising the placement of an anti-aircraft battery. He reports heavy German preparations and the risk of a renewed offensive. ### Peter Pienaar Peter is dead, having been killed in the previous day's battle. Hannay recalls his sacrifice and the honor bestowed upon him, reading from Peter's Pilgrim's Progress at his grave. ### Mary Lamington Mary is present at Peter's grave with Hannay and Blenkiron. Hannay thinks of her with hope and love, envisioning a future peace with her. ### John S. Blenkiron Blenkiron is with Hannay and Mary at Peter's grave. Hannay recalls him as 'raging like a good-tempered lion' during the battle. ### Launcelot Wake Wake is dead, killed in the previous day's fighting. Hannay reflects on his courage and transformation, calling him 'the Faithful among us pilgrims'. ## Key lines > Then said he, 'I am going to my Father's; and though with great difficulty I am got hither, yet now I do not repent me of all the trouble I have been at to arrive where I am. My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get it. My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought His battles who now will be my rewarder.' So he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side. Hannay reads from Pilgrim's Progress at Peter's grave, applying the words of Mr. Valiant-for-Truth to Peter's heroic death and legacy. _This passage serves as a eulogy for Peter Pienaar, linking his sacrifice to the allegorical journey of a faithful pilgrim._ > I was looking again beyond the war to that peace which she and I would some day inherit. I had a vision of a green English landscape, with its far-flung scents of wood and meadow and garden... And that face of all my dreams, with the eyes so childlike and brave and honest, as if they, too, saw beyond the dark to a radiant country. Hannay imagines a peaceful future with Mary after the war, contrasting the present horrors with a vision of home and love. _This moment of hope and longing provides emotional relief amid the tension of the chapter._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/mr_standfast_se/chapters/part-ii-xxii-the-summons-comes-for-mr-standfast - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/mr_standfast_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/mr_standfast_se/chapters