The Jade God · Chapter
IV: Jean explained
Two weeks after the staff at Beech Lodge is completed, Mrs.
What happens
Two weeks after the staff at Beech Lodge is completed, Mrs. Millicent and her daughter Jean walk near their old home for the first time since the tragedy. Jean feels an impulse to pass by Beech Lodge, and they see Perkins at the window and Martin in the garden. Later, Jean visits Derrick at Beech Lodge to discuss Martin's presence and the lingering influence of her father's death. Derrick shares his sense of purpose and the mysterious forces drawing them together, while Perkins is seen in a somnambulistic state, mourning her master.
Themes in this chapter
The Occult and Supernatural
Perkins's somnambulistic state and her plea to her 'master' suggest supernatural forces at work, and Derrick speaks of intangible purpose and mystical messages.
The Power of the Past
The Millicents are haunted by the memory of the murder, and Beech Lodge itself seems to hold the emotional and spiritual residue of the tragedy.
Guilt and Secrecy
Jean and Mrs. Millicent carry the weight of unresolved grief and suspicion about Mr. Millicent's enemy, while Martin's return hints at hidden knowledge.
Characters to notice
- Jean Millicent
Jean feels a strong impulse to revisit Beech Lodge and later visits Derrick to discuss Martin and her father's death.
- Mrs. Millicent
Mrs. Millicent is still grieving deeply, her hair touched with gray, and she avoids Beech Lodge but accompanies Jean partway.
- Perkins
Perkins is seen at the window of Beech Lodge and later appears in a trance-like state, mourning her master and kissing the bloodstain on the desk.
- John Martin
Martin is seen in the garden with shears, and Jean recognizes him; he is now employed by Derrick.
- Mr. John Derrick
Derrick is the new tenant of Beech Lodge, feels a mysterious connection to the house, and discusses the unfolding events with Jean.
Key passages
“I sometimes wonder, mother, whether houses have some kind of consciousness and are aware of us who live in them.”
Jean wonders if houses possess a form of awareness and can sense the people who inhabit them.
Jean expresses a belief in the sentience of places, foreshadowing the supernatural themes.
“Master, where are you now? Why did you go; why are you not here where you used to be? The evil waits still, and all is empty and cold and dead without you, all dead, all dead!”
Perkins, in a trance, calls out to her deceased master, lamenting his absence and the lingering evil.
Perkins's sleepwalking reveals her deep connection to the dead and the ongoing threat.
“It is something more than fate; it is purpose.”
Derrick tells Jean that the events unfolding are not just destiny but part of a deliberate plan.
Derrick articulates his belief in a higher purpose guiding their actions.