The Aspirations of Mr. Emilius explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Social Climbing and Ambition

  Mr. Emilius actively pursues Lizzie for her title, income, and castle, seeing her as a means to elevate his own status.

• Deception and Perjury

  Mr. Emilius's denials about his past and his oily, untrustworthy manner highlight the theme of deception; Lizzie's diamond secret also looms.

• Marriage as Transaction

  Lizzie views marriage as a means to secure her position, considering Lord Fawn for his status, while Mr. Emilius sees her as a financial and social asset.

Characters to notice

• Lizzie Eustace

  Dismisses Mr. Emilius's courtship but tolerates his advances; delays her trip to Scotland, waiting for Lucinda's wedding and Lord Fawn's letter.

• Mr. Emilius

  Sends a gold salver as a gift; actively courts Lizzie for her income and Portray Castle; denies past marriage and explains away a female companion.

• Mrs. Carbuncle

  Receives the gold salver from Mr. Emilius and suspects he is after Portray Castle; discusses his courtship with Lizzie.

• Lucinda Roanoke

  Her upcoming wedding is mentioned; she urges Lizzie not to delay her trip to Scotland on her account.

• Frank Greystock

  Mentioned as having called at Scotland Yard to learn about the diamond case but could learn nothing.

• Lord Fawn

  Lizzie hopes for a promised letter from him; she still considers him a potential husband if the diamond secret remains hidden.

Key passages

• “It was acknowledged by Mrs. Carbuncle very freely that in the matter of tribute no one behaved better than Mr. Emilius, the fashionable, foreign, ci-devant Jew preacher, who still drew great congregations in the neighbourhood of Mrs. Carbuncle’s house.”

  Mrs. Carbuncle admitted that Mr. Emilius, a popular foreign-born preacher of Jewish background, was generous with gifts.

  Introduces Mr. Emilius's character and his relationship with Mrs. Carbuncle.

• “Mr. Emilius was after Portray Castle, and had been after Portray Castle in a silent, not very confident, but yet not altogether hopeless manner ever since he had seen the glories of that place, and learned something of truth as to the widow’s income.”

  Mr. Emilius had been quietly but persistently pursuing Lizzie for her Scottish estate and income since visiting Portray.

  Reveals Mr. Emilius's mercenary motives.

• “He assured Mrs. Carbuncle that he had never been married. Shortly after his ordination, which had been effected under the hands of that great and good man the late Bishop of Jerusalem, he had taken to live with him a lady who was— Mrs. Carbuncle did not quite recollect who the lady was, but remembered that she was connected in some way with a stepmother of Mr. Emilius who lived in Bohemia.”

  Mr. Emilius claimed he was never married, but had once lived with a lady connected to his stepmother in Bohemia, whom he later sent away.

  Highlights Mr. Emilius's dubious past and his attempts to clear his reputation.

• “There was a twang in his voice which ought to have told her that he was utterly untrustworthy. There was an oily pretence at earnestness in his manner which ought to have told that he was not fit to associate with gentlemen.”

  Lizzie failed to recognize that Mr. Emilius's voice and manner revealed him to be a deceitful and ungentlemanly man.

  Narrator's critique of Lizzie's poor judgment of character.

• “A gentleman once, on ordering a mackerel for dinner, was told that a fresh mackerel would come to a shilling. He could have a stale mackerel for sixpence. “Then bring me a stale mackerel,” said the gentleman.”

  Mr. Emilius reasoned that a slightly tarnished Lizzie (due to diamond rumors) would be more attainable and still valuable.

  Metaphor illustrating Mr. Emilius's pragmatic view of Lizzie's diminished social standing.