# Chapter XXXVII explained — The Ladies Lindores

> Chapter companion for The Ladies Lindores by Margaret Oliphant.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_ladies_lindores_se/chapters/xxxvii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_ladies_lindores_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_ladies_lindores_se/chapters