# XXVII: The Terror by Night explained — The Beetle > Chapter companion for The Beetle by Richard Marsh. ## What happens Marjorie Lindon recounts her terrifying encounter with a beetle-like creature in her bedroom, describing her intense antipathy to beetles and the horror of feeling it creep toward her. She then recalls visiting the injured man (Robert Holt) who, upon her entrance, cries out a warning about Paul Lessingham and the Beetle before lapsing into a trance. The encounter leaves Marjorie deeply shaken and feeling an unseen presence, leading her to retreat to her room where she eventually faints from terror. ## Themes in this chapter ### Fear and Psychological Terror Marjorie's detailed account of her escalating panic, the buzzing beetle, and her helplessness illustrates profound psychological terror. ### The Supernatural and the Unknown The beetle's unnatural weight, its ability to induce fainting, and Holt's trance-like state suggest a supernatural or occult presence. ### Trauma and Memory Marjorie fears the memory of the beetle will haunt her for life, and the encounter leaves her with lasting emotional scars. ## Character check-ins ### Marjorie Lindon Narrates her childhood antipathy to beetles and describes the night's terror when a winged beetle invades her bedroom, causing her to tear off her gown and faint. Later visits Holt, whose cryptic warning intensifies her dread. ### Robert Holt Lying in a trance-like state; upon Marjorie's entrance, he sits up and cries out 'Paul Lessingham! Beware! The Beetle!' before relapsing into insensibility. ### Paul Lessingham Mentioned in Holt's warning and in Marjorie's thoughts as the subject of his great speech and her romantic interest. ### The Beetle The source of Marjorie's terror: a large, winged beetle that buzzes around her room, alights on her bed, and creeps toward her head before she faints. ### Fanchette Marjorie's maid, who offers to help her undress but is sent away as Marjorie struggles with her fear. ### Mrs. Henderson The plump, motherly nurse attending Holt; she notes his trance-like state and remarks on the unnaturalness of his condition. ## Key lines > My whole life long I have had an antipathy to beetles of any sort or kind. Marjorie states she has always harbored a deep-seated aversion to beetles. _Establishes her lifelong phobia, which intensifies the night's horror._ > I felt it alight upon the coverlet; it weighed upon me like a ton of lead. She feels the beetle land on the bedspread, pressing down with immense weight. _Highlights the supernatural heaviness of the creature, blending physical and psychological terror._ > Paul Lessingham! Beware! The Beetle! Holt cries out a warning to Paul Lessingham about the Beetle. _Connects Holt's trance to the ongoing threat against Lessingham and links Marjorie's personal terror to a larger conspiracy._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_beetle_se/chapters/xxvii-the-terror-by-night - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_beetle_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_beetle_se/chapters