Riceyman Steps · Chapter
Asleep explained
In the middle of the night, Mrs.
What happens
In the middle of the night, Mrs. Belrose notices a light still burning in T. T. Riceyman's shop and wakes her husband, Mr. Belrose. Despite their reluctance, they decide he should investigate. Mr. Belrose finds the shop door unlocked and discovers Henry Earlforward dead in his office chair, with a bag of money on the floor and the safe open. Searching the house, he then finds Elsie asleep across a young man on a bed upstairs, and the young man quietly asks him not to wake her.
Themes in this chapter
Illness and Mortality
Henry Earlforward's sudden death in his office chair underscores the theme of mortality and the physical toll of his miserly life.
Urban Decay and Industrial London
The deserted Steps, harsh wind, and dust moving from one part to another evoke the gritty, decaying urban environment of London.
Domesticity and Routine
The Belroses' nighttime routine and their concern for the household's safety highlight the rhythms and responsibilities of domestic life.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Belrose
Woken by his wife, he investigates the light at T. T. Riceyman's shop, discovers Henry Earlforward dead, and later finds Elsie asleep with a young man.
- Mrs. Belrose
Notices the light burning late, expresses fear, and persuades her husband to go check on the situation.
- Henry Earlforward
Found dead in his office chair, wearing a new suit, with a bag of money on the floor and the safe open.
- Elsie
Found asleep across a young man on a bed upstairs, exhausted from her duties.
- Jack
The young man lying on the bed with Elsie asleep across him; he asks Mr. Belrose not to wake her.
Key passages
“Mr. Belrose peered through the slit between the edge of the door-blind and the doorframe, but could see nothing except that a light was burning somewhere in the background.”
Mr. Belrose looked through a gap in the blind but only saw a light in the back of the shop.
Shows his cautious approach and the mysterious atmosphere.
“He was leaning over the right arm of the chair, his body at half a right angle to the perpendicular, and his face towards the floor.”
He was slumped over the chair's arm, his body angled and face pointing down.
Describes Henry's unnatural posture after death.
“Never had he had such a sensation at once painful and ravishing (yes, ravishing to the awed cheesemonger) as he had then.”
He felt a mix of pain and delight, surprising for a simple cheesemonger.
Highlights Mr. Belrose's emotional response to finding the sleeping couple.