# XXVI: A Disinterested Parent explained — The Cloven Foot

> Chapter companion for The Cloven Foot by M. E. Braddon.

## What happens

Laura reveals to John that the man known as Mr. Desrolles is actually her long-lost father, Stephen Malcolm, who faked his death years ago so that Jasper Treverton would adopt her. John is disturbed by the revelation but agrees to provide financial support, while Desrolles blackmails John by threatening to expose his past identity as Jack Chicot. The chapter ends with Desrolles departing for Paris, leaving Laura and John to grapple with the implications of his presence.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrets and Deception

Stephen Malcolm's faked death and Laura's secret meetings with him underscore the theme of deception for perceived noble motives.

### Social Class and Wealth

The negotiation over financial support and the contrast between Stephen Malcolm's degraded state and John's wealth highlight class and economic tensions.

### Inheritance and Legitimacy

Laura's adoption by Jasper Treverton and the revelation of her true father raise questions about inheritance and familial legitimacy.

## Character check-ins

### Laura Malcolm

Laura confesses to John that Desrolles is her father, Stephen Malcolm, and explains the circumstances of their reunion and her secret financial support.

### John Treverton

John listens to Laura's confession, agrees to provide Desrolles with an allowance, and is blackmailed by Desrolles regarding his past as Jack Chicot.

### Mr. Desrolles

Revealed as Stephen Malcolm, Laura's father, he demands a thousand pounds a year and threatens to expose John's past identity.

### Stephen Malcolm

Identified as the same person as Mr. Desrolles; he faked his death to secure Laura's adoption by Jasper Treverton.

### Jasper Treverton

Referenced in a letter as the old friend who adopted Laura after believing Stephen Malcolm had died.

## Key lines

> I cannot tell you how I felt when he said this... I thought I was going to fall fainting at his feet.

Laura describes her overwhelming shock upon learning that Desrolles is her father.

_This moment reveals Laura's emotional turmoil and the weight of the secret she has been carrying._

> I told a lie for your sake, I must stick to it for my own.

Stephen Malcolm explains that he maintained the deception of his death to protect Laura's future.

_This quote encapsulates the moral ambiguity of Stephen's actions, framed as a sacrifice for his daughter._

> The master of Hazlehurst Manor would scarcely care to be identified with Jack Chicot, the caricaturist, and husband—at least by common repute—of the dancer whose name used to adorn all the walls of London.

Desrolles threatens to expose John's past identity as Jack Chicot, a caricaturist married to a dancer.

_This threat reveals John's hidden past and the power dynamics between him and Desrolles._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cloven_foot_se/chapters/xxvi-a-disinterested-parent
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cloven_foot_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cloven_foot_se/chapters