The Cords of Vanity · Chapter
III: He Earns a Stickpin explained
The narrator recounts his pursuit of Stella Musgrave during the summer after college, his rivalry with Peter Blagden, and his eventual role as best man at Stella and Peter's wedding.
What happens
The narrator recounts his pursuit of Stella Musgrave during the summer after college, his rivalry with Peter Blagden, and his eventual role as best man at Stella and Peter's wedding. He also reflects on his correspondence with Bettie Hamlyn and the promise he made to her.
Themes in this chapter
Vanity and Self-Deception
The narrator's dark hints about fictitious women and his desire to appear depraved reveal self-deception and vanity.
Romantic Idealism vs. Reality
The narrator's idealistic pursuit of Stella clashes with the reality of her marriage to Peter.
Love and Its Disillusionments
The narrator's love for Stella ends in disillusionment as she marries another, and he reflects on his failed courtship.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator follows Stella, competes with Peter, and serves as best man at their wedding.
- Stella Musgrave
Stella is courted by the narrator and Peter, eventually marrying Peter Blagden.
- Peter Blagden
Peter is the narrator's rival for Stella and marries her, asking the narrator to be best man.
- Bettie Hamlyn
Bettie corresponds with the narrator and extracts a promise of honesty from him.
Key passages
“And all the ensuing summer I followed Stella Musgrave from one watering place to another, with an engaging and entire candor as to my desires.”
Throughout the summer, I openly pursued Stella Musgrave as she traveled to various resorts.
The narrator describes his candid pursuit of Stella.
“I blush to think of the dark hints I dropped as to entirely fictitious women who 'had been too kind to me.'”
I am embarrassed to recall the false insinuations I made about imaginary women who had been affectionate toward me.
The narrator admits to fabricating stories to appear more experienced.
“So I wrote to Bettie Hamlyn on the seventh of every month—because that was her birthday—and again on the twenty-third, because that was mine.”
I wrote to Bettie on the seventh and twenty-third of each month, dates tied to our birthdays.
The narrator maintains a regular correspondence with Bettie.
“And Peter Blagden clapped the pinnacle upon my anguish by asking me to be the best man.”
Peter Blagden added to my misery by requesting that I serve as his best man.
The narrator's anguish is compounded by Peter's request.