Short Fiction · Chapter
Dame the First explained
Betty Dornell, in a desperate act to avoid her unwanted husband Stephen Reynard, deliberately exposes herself to smallpox by kissing a sick girl.
What happens
Betty Dornell, in a desperate act to avoid her unwanted husband Stephen Reynard, deliberately exposes herself to smallpox by kissing a sick girl. Meanwhile, Squire Dornell, upon learning of Reynard's impending visit, takes a dangerous gout remedy to regain his strength and confront Reynard. Mrs. Dornell attempts to manage the situation, but Betty flees with her lover Phelipson. Squire Dornell, initially devastated, dies after learning of Betty's rebellious flight, which he celebrates as a sign of her spirit.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Betty's forced marriage to Stephen Reynard and her desperate attempts to avoid him highlight the conflict between personal desire and societal expectations.
Deception and Secrecy
Mrs. Dornell's manipulation of the marriage and her concealment of Betty's flight from Reynard and her husband drive the plot.
Sacrifice and Duty
Betty's self-exposure to smallpox and Squire Dornell's dangerous remedy illustrate extreme sacrifices made out of duty or rebellion.
Characters to notice
- Betty
Betty deliberately exposes herself to smallpox to avoid her husband Stephen Reynard, then later flees with her lover Phelipson.
- Mrs. Dornell
Mrs. Dornell tries to manage the fallout of Betty's marriage and flight, and returns to her dying husband.
- Squire Dornell
Squire Dornell takes a dangerous gout remedy to confront Reynard, but later dies after learning of Betty's rebellious flight.
- Stephen Reynard
Stephen Reynard is the unwanted husband of Betty; his impending visit triggers Betty's desperate actions.
- Tupcombe
Tupcombe is the loyal servant who delivers Reynard's letter to Squire Dornell and later spies on the household.
Key passages
“An idea suddenly energized Betty’s apathetic features. She glanced at her mother; Mrs. Dornell had been looking in the opposite direction. Betty said that she wished to go back to the cottage for a moment to speak to a girl in whom she took an interest.”
Betty, seeing her mother distracted, decides to return to the cottage under the pretense of visiting a friend.
Betty's quick thinking to deceive her mother and expose herself to smallpox.
“There, I have done it now! ... Nanny Priddle is sick of the smallpox, and I saw her at the window, and I went in and kissed her, so that I might take it; and now I shall have it, and he won’t be able to come near me!”
Betty confesses to her mother that she deliberately kissed a smallpox patient to contract the disease and repel her husband.
Betty's desperate act to avoid marital intimacy with Stephen Reynard.
“What—Betty—a trump after all? Hurrah! She’s her father’s own maid! She’s game! She knew he was her father’s own choice! She vowed that my man should win! Well done, Bet!—haw! haw! Hurrah!”
Squire Dornell, on his deathbed, joyfully celebrates Betty's rebellious flight, seeing it as a sign of her loyalty to him.
Squire Dornell's final reaction to Betty's defiance, which he interprets as a victory over his wife's schemes.