# XII explained — The History of Mr. Polly

> Chapter companion for The History of Mr. Polly by H. G. Wells.

## What happens

After the Night Surprise, Uncle Jim disappears and does not return for an extended period. Months pass, then a year, and eventually two and a half years. The plump woman and Mr. Polly briefly wonder what has become of him, but the anxiety fades with time.

## Character check-ins

### Uncle Jim

Uncle Jim has gone and does not return for months, then years, after the Night Surprise.

### Mr. Polly

Mr. Polly reflects on Uncle Jim's absence and responds to the plump woman's wondering.

## Key lines

> But Uncle Jim had gone altogether.⁠ ⁠… He did not return for some days.

Uncle Jim had completely disappeared and did not come back for several days.

_Describes the immediate aftermath of the Night Surprise._

> A year passed, and the anxiety of him became less acute; a second healing year followed the first.

After a year, the worry about him diminished, and another peaceful year passed.

_Shows the passage of time and the easing of tension._

> One afternoon about thirty months after the Night Surprise the plump woman spoke of him. “I wonder what’s become of Jim,” she said. “ I wonder sometimes,” said Mr. Polly.

About two and a half years after the Night Surprise, the plump woman mentioned Jim, and Mr. Polly agreed that he sometimes wondered too.

_The only mention of Uncle Jim after his long absence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_history_of_mr_polly_se/chapters/xii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_history_of_mr_polly_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_history_of_mr_polly_se/chapters