# X: The Time of Waiting explained — The House on the Borderland

> Chapter companion for The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson.

## What happens

The recluse observes a period of calm after the attacks, tending to his recovering sister Mary and his dog Pepper. He maintains a vigilant watch from the tower, but sees no sign of the Swine-Things for several days, leading him to hope they may have left, though he remains cautious and does not leave the house.

## Themes in this chapter

### Isolation and Madness

The recluse and his sister remain confined to the house, with Mary's fragile mental state and the narrator's cautious vigilance highlighting the psychological toll of their isolation.

### The Supernatural and the Unknown

The unexplained absence of the Swine-Things creates an eerie suspense, as the narrator suspects a ruse and fears the unknown intentions of the creatures.

## Character check-ins

### The Recluse

Maintains a watch from the tower, cares for Mary and Pepper, and debates whether the Swine-Things have truly left.

### Mary

Recovers from her terror, speaks sanely, and resumes household duties, though she remains fearful of the doors and avoids mentioning the past days.

### Pepper

Shows steady improvement, stands and wags his tail, and by the sixth day is back on his feet, though still weak.

## Key lines

> The sun was now warm, and shining brightly, forming a wondrous contrast to the dark and dismal cellars; and it was with comparatively light feelings, that I made my way up to the tower, to survey the gardens.

The bright, warm sunlight outside contrasts sharply with the dark cellars, lifting the narrator's spirits as he climbs the tower to check the gardens.

_Highlights the temporary relief and hope after the horrors._

> It would soon be three days since I had seen any of the Things; but still, I intended to use the utmost caution. For all that I could tell, this protracted silence might be a ruse to tempt me from the house⁠—perhaps right into their arms.

Though it has been nearly three days without sight of the Swine-Things, the narrator remains extremely cautious, suspecting their silence could be a trap to lure him outside.

_Shows the narrator's persistent wariness and the tension of the waiting period._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/x-the-time-of-waiting
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters