The Last Post · Chapter
VI explained
Mark Tietjens, lying paralyzed, reflects on his father's suicide, his marriage to Marie Léonie, and the impending loss of Groby to Papist hands.
What happens
Mark Tietjens, lying paralyzed, reflects on his father's suicide, his marriage to Marie Léonie, and the impending loss of Groby to Papist hands. He contemplates the possibility that Valentine Wannop is Christopher's half-sister, the fate of the Groby Great Tree, and his own failing memory, while recalling the weeks before his wedding and his brother Christopher's gentle care.
Themes in this chapter
Decline of the Aristocracy
Mark reflects on the end of the Tietjens line, with Groby passing to Papist hands and the family's legacy fading.
Memory and the Past
Mark's failing memory and his detailed recollections of his father, his wedding, and family history dominate the chapter.
Identity and Legacy
The Tietjens family identity is questioned through incest, illegitimacy, and the loss of Groby.
Characters to notice
- Mark Tietjens
Narrator; paralyzed and reflecting on his father, marriage, and Groby's fate.
- Christopher Tietjens
Mark's brother; described as learned and gentle, reading Boswell to Mark during his illness.
- Marie Léonie
Mark's wife; a Papist, formerly his mistress, now Lady Tietjens of Groby.
- Sylvia Tietjens
Christopher's wife; Mark suspects she hoped to be the first Lady Tietjens of Groby.
- Valentine Wannop
Possibly Christopher's half-sister; Mark considers the incest implications.
- Professor Wannop
Father of Valentine; intimate friend of Mark's father.
- Young Mark
Christopher's son; a Papist, having undergone baptism and first communion.
Key passages
“Father would sit reading in elegantly bound books, by the hour. His study had been one of the showrooms of the house in Dijon. Did he commit suicide? If so then Valentine Wannop was his daughter.”
Mark wonders if his father's suicide means Valentine Wannop is his half-sister, making Christopher's relationship with her incestuous.
Mark's speculation about his father's death and its implications for Christopher and Valentine.
“A man as a rule does not marry his mistress whilst he has any kick in him.”
A man typically only marries his mistress when he is near death or has no future ambitions.
Mark's justification for marrying Marie Léonie, given his paralysis and impending death.
“He could not conceal from himself that his memory was failing, though otherwise he considered himself to be as sound a man as he had ever been.”
Mark admits his memory is deteriorating, even though he feels physically healthy otherwise.
Mark's awareness of his cognitive decline, contrasting with his physical state.