# At the Foot of the Stairs explained — The Circular Staircase

> Chapter companion for The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart.

## What happens

Rachel Innes returns to Sunnyside and, driven by curiosity, discovers the secret entrance to the hidden room behind the mantel in the trunk-room. She becomes trapped inside, and later a mysterious intruder joins her in the darkness. A chase ensues as Jamieson and the detectives break in, but the intruder escapes through a hidden passage.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Deception

The hidden room behind the mantel, the secret panel, and the detectives' feigned departure all underscore the theme of concealed truths and deceptive appearances.

### Isolation and Vulnerability

Rachel's entrapment in the dark, hidden room and her confrontation with the intruder highlight her physical and psychological vulnerability.

## Character check-ins

### Rachel Innes

Investigates the trunk-room, discovers the secret mantel door, becomes trapped in the hidden room, and confronts an intruder.

### Mr. Jamieson

Leads the search for the secret room and orchestrates the pursuit of the intruder.

### Liddy Allen

Brings Rachel tea and a book, then naps before dinner.

### Halsey Innes

Expected to return home that night; his arrival is signaled by the sound of an automobile.

### Gertrude Innes

Sends a message that Halsey insists on coming home.

### Alexander Graham

Determined to liberate Rachel from the hidden room.

## Key lines

> Trust a woman to add two and two together, and make six.

Halsey jokingly criticizes Rachel for overcomplicating simple deductions.

_Reflects the gender dynamics and Rachel's counter-argument about discovering the unknown quantity._

> I am not fond of a height. The few occasions on which I have climbed a stepladder have always left me dizzy and weak in the knees. The top of the Washington Monument is as impossible to me as the elevation of the presidential chair. And yet—I climbed out on to the Sunnyside roof without a second’s hesitation.

Despite her fear of heights, Rachel climbs onto the roof driven by determination.

_Highlights Rachel's courage and the intensity of her investigation._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters/xxxiii-at-the-foot-of-the-stairs
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_circular_staircase_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_circular_staircase_se/chapters