The Cheyne Mystery · Chapter
VII: Miss Joan Merrill explained
Maxwell Cheyne regains consciousness in a half-built house after being attacked and left for dead.
What happens
Maxwell Cheyne regains consciousness in a half-built house after being attacked and left for dead. He crawls to the road and is rescued by a young woman, Joan Merrill, who takes him to the hospital. After his release, he visits her studio to thank her and, after some hesitation, tells her the full story of his adventures—from the Plymouth hotel incident to the burglary at Warren Lodge, the pursuit of the gang, and the theft of the tracing. Joan is thrilled and believes the tracing is a cipher for buried treasure. Cheyne proposes they join forces, and she agrees, forming the partnership of Cheyne and Merrill.
Themes in this chapter
Adventure and Detection
Cheyne recounts his dangerous pursuit of the gang and the theft of the tracing, and Joan enthusiastically joins the investigation.
Trust and Betrayal
Cheyne decides to trust Joan with his secret story, and they form a partnership based on mutual confidence.
Characters to notice
- Maxwell Cheyne
Recovers from the attack, crawls to safety, and later visits Joan Merrill to thank her and share his story.
- Joan Merrill
Rescues Cheyne from the roadside, takes him to the hospital, and later agrees to join him in his investigation.
Key passages
“After what seemed ages of forgetfulness a confused sense of pain began to make itself felt in Maxwell Cheyne’s being, growing in force and definition as he gradually struggled back to consciousness.”
Cheyne slowly regained consciousness, feeling increasing pain as he woke up.
Describes Cheyne's return to awareness after the attack.
“He was lying on his back on the ground in the half-built house from which he had taken the ladder, and the parallelograms were the openings in the walls into which doors and windows would afterwards be fitted.”
Cheyne realized he was in the unfinished house where he had earlier taken a ladder, seeing the dark shapes of future windows and doors.
Cheyne identifies his location after the attack.
“Suddenly he became conscious of the sound of light but rapid footsteps approaching on the footpath at the other side of the paling, and once more summoning all his resolution he nerved himself to listen.”
Cheyne heard quick, light footsteps on the path and gathered his strength to call for help.
Cheyne hears Joan approaching and calls out.
“Her face was rather thin and her chin rather sharp for perfect symmetry, but her nose tilted adorably and the arch of her eyebrows was delicacy itself.”
Joan's face was slightly thin and her chin sharp, but her nose and eyebrows were charming and delicate.
Description of Joan Merrill's appearance.
“My word! To think of such things happening here in sober old London in the twentieth century! Why, it’s like the Arabian Nights!”
Joan exclaims that Cheyne's adventure seems as fantastical as a story from the Arabian Nights.
Joan's excited reaction to Cheyne's tale.
“Let's join forces. You help me.”
Cheyne proposes that they work together as partners.
Cheyne suggests forming a partnership with Joan.