The Ladies Lindores · Chapter
Chapter XXXVII explained
Lord Lindores pressures Rintoul to marry Lady Reseda, while Rintoul's inner turmoil suggests a hidden secret.
What happens
Lord Lindores pressures Rintoul to marry Lady Reseda, while Rintoul's inner turmoil suggests a hidden secret. Lord Lindores also navigates Millefleurs's impatience to propose to Edith, and reflects on John Erskine's ruined reputation after Torrance's death. Beaufort returns, haunted by the funeral.
Themes in this chapter
Marriage as Transaction
Lord Lindores treats both Edith's and Rintoul's marriages as strategic alliances, linking them to the Duke's family for political and social gain.
Family Duty vs. Personal Happiness
Rintoul's hidden anguish and rebellion against his father's marriage plans contrast with Lord Lindores's expectation of filial obedience.
Appearance vs. Reality
Rintoul's outward composure masks a secret torment; Beaufort's presence at the funeral feels dreamlike, blurring the line between past and present.
Characters to notice
- Lord Lindores
Pressures Rintoul to marry Lady Reseda, dismisses Rintoul's distress as melodrama, and coldly calculates John Erskine's political uselessness.
- Lord Rintoul
Agonized and secretive, he resists his father's marriage plans and feels a new, dark connection with the silent world around him.
- Lord Millefleurs
Returns from Torrance's funeral and politely presses Lord Lindores for an opportunity to propose to Edith, showing impatience and self-awareness.
- Edith Lindores
Mentioned as the object of Millefleurs's aspirations; her absence and potential refusal worry Lord Lindores.
- Mr. Beaufort
Attends Torrance's funeral, feeling like a specter, and is stirred by the thought that Caroline is now free.
- John Erskine
Discussed as ruined by the scandal of Torrance's death; Lord Lindores sees him as politically worthless and wishes him out of the way.
Key passages
“A primrose by the river's brim, A yellow primrose was to him.”
Rintoul, once indifferent to nature, now finds the world charged with meaning and secrecy.
The narrator uses Wordsworth's poem to highlight Rintoul's transformation from stolidness to a troubled inner life.
“A son-in-law in hand is better than many boroughs in the bush.”
Lord Lindores values a secured marriage alliance with Millefleurs over uncertain political gains.
A cynical rephrasing of 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,' showing Lindores's pragmatic ambition.