The Cloven Foot · Chapter
Edward Clare Discovers a Likeness explained
Celia Clare writes to her brother Edward about Laura Treverton's mysterious return from her honeymoon alone and her refusal to discuss her husband.
What happens
Celia Clare writes to her brother Edward about Laura Treverton's mysterious return from her honeymoon alone and her refusal to discuss her husband. Meanwhile, in London, Edward Clare encounters the disreputable Mr. Desrolles and learns about Jack Chicot, a man who bears a striking resemblance to someone Edward knows from Hazlehurst.
Themes in this chapter
Secrets and Deception
Laura's refusal to explain her separation from John Treverton and Edward's covert investigation into Chicot's identity highlight hidden truths.
Bohemianism vs. Respectability
The contrast between Laura's secluded, respectable life at Hazlehurst and Chicot's Bohemian existence in London is emphasized.
Love and Marriage
Laura's troubled marriage and Chicot's unhappy domestic situation reflect the complexities of marital relationships.
Characters to notice
- Celia Clare
Writes a letter to her brother Edward detailing Laura's strange behavior after her honeymoon.
- Laura Malcolm
Has returned from her honeymoon alone and refuses to discuss her husband with Celia.
- Edward Clare
Receives Celia's letter and later encounters Mr. Desrolles, learning about Jack Chicot's resemblance to someone from Hazlehurst.
- Mr. Desrolles
Provides Edward with information about Jack Chicot and reacts with surprise upon hearing the name Hazlehurst.
- Chicot
Mentioned as a hard-working comic artist whose wife drinks heavily; he bears a strong likeness to a man Edward knows.
- La Chicot
Described as a French dancer and Chicot's wife, with a propensity for drinking.
Key passages
“The marriage has been a complete fiasco. What do you think of our poor Laura’s coming home from her honeymoon alone ? Without even so much as her husband’s portmanteau!”
Celia declares that Laura's marriage has failed, noting that Laura returned from her honeymoon by herself without any of her husband's belongings.
Celia's letter reveals the mysterious breakdown of Laura's marriage.
“I shall rot unknown in my garret, or die of hunger and opium, like that poor boy who perished within a quarter of a mile of this dismal hole, unless I can get some rich publisher to launch me properly.”
Edward fears he will remain obscure and die in poverty, like a fellow poet who died nearby, unless a wealthy publisher supports him.
Edward's despair over his unrecognized poetic talent.
“He is remarkably like a man I know; but of course it can’t be the same. The husband of a French dancer. No, that isn’t possible.”
Edward notes that Chicot closely resembles an acquaintance, but dismisses the idea that a respectable man could be married to a French dancer.
Edward's suspicion about Chicot's identity.