The Last Chronicle of Barset · Chapter
Rotten Row explained
Lily Dale goes riding in the Park with Bernard, Emily Dunstable, and Siph Dunn.
What happens
Lily Dale goes riding in the Park with Bernard, Emily Dunstable, and Siph Dunn. She unexpectedly encounters Adolphus Crosbie, her former fiancé, and is deeply shaken. Later at dinner, she is seated next to Fowler Pratt, Crosbie's friend, and handles the situation with composure. That night she reflects on how her feelings toward Crosbie have changed, realizing she no longer sees him as the godlike figure she once did.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Lily's encounter with Crosbie forces her to confront her past engagement and her current feelings, leading to a decisive rejection of any renewed relationship.
Gossip and Public Opinion
The social setting of the Park and dinner party highlights how personal histories are known and discussed among acquaintances, as seen with Fowler Pratt's knowledge of Crosbie and Lily.
Characters to notice
- Lily Dale
Lily rides in the Park, encounters Crosbie, and later dines with Fowler Pratt, managing her emotions with growing maturity.
- Adolphus Crosbie
Seen by Lily in Rotten Row; his altered appearance disenchants her.
- Siph Dunn
Acts as Lily's riding companion in the Park, assigned by Mrs. Thorne.
- Fowler Pratt
Dines at Mrs. Thorne's and is seated next to Lily; she suspects he is Crosbie's friend.
- Emily Dunstable
Rides with Bernard and Lily; later listens to Lily's confidences about Crosbie.
- Bernard Dale
Rides with the party and is engaged to Emily Dunstable.
Key passages
“When last she had seen him he had been as it were a god to her; and though, since that day, his conduct to her had been as ungodlike as it well might be, still the memory of the outward signs of his divinity had remained with her.”
In the past she had idolized him, but his later behavior had shattered that image; yet she had still clung to the memory of his former charm.
Lily's internal realization that her idealized view of Crosbie has faded after seeing him again.
“I think it was chiefly that she herself was older, and could no longer see a god in such a man.”
She had matured and could now see him as an ordinary, flawed human being.
Lily's recognition of her own growth and changed perspective.