# XXI: Ethne Makes Another Slip explained — The Four Feathers

> Chapter companion for The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason.

## What happens

Ethne and Durrance maintain a pretense of contentment, while Ethne secretly hopes for Harry Feversham's rescue from Omdurman. Durrance, aware of Ethne's true feelings, conceals his knowledge and plans to investigate further, suspecting that Feversham's disappearance is tied to a mission to rescue Colonel Trench. Mrs. Adair grows uneasy and angry as her interference seems to have no effect.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Sacrifice

Ethne's silent suffering and hope for Harry's safety, while Durrance sacrifices his own happiness to maintain her illusion.

### Perception and Reality

The pretense of contentment between Ethne and Durrance, hiding their true emotions and knowledge.

## Character check-ins

### Ethne Eustace

Struggles with misery and hope, concealing her true feelings from Durrance while longing for Harry's safety.

### Durrance

Pretends ignorance of Ethne's love for Feversham, plans to seek truth from Lieutenant Sutch.

### Mrs. Adair

Uneasy and angry as her disclosures seem to have no effect on the relationship between Ethne and Durrance.

### Harry Feversham

Mentioned as being in Omdurman, possibly as his own go-between to rescue Trench.

### Colonel Trench

Imprisoned in Omdurman, the object of Feversham's rescue plans.

## Key lines

> You see, one can get used to blindness and take it as the natural thing. But one does not get used to you, Ethne.

Durrance tells Ethne that while he has adapted to his blindness, he will never tire of her company.

_Durrance's attempt to appear cheerful and content, masking his true awareness._

> It seemed that he had found for himself some perfectly simple and natural explanation.

Ethne believes Durrance has accepted a simple explanation for her behavior, unaware of his true suspicions.

_Ethne's mistaken perception of Durrance's state of mind._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxi-ethne-makes-another-slip
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_four_feathers_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters