The Leavenworth Case · Chapter
The Beginning of Great Surprises explained
The narrator reflects on days of little progress, observing Mr.
What happens
The narrator reflects on days of little progress, observing Mr. Clavering's avoidance and Mr. Harwell's stoic reliability. He confronts Mary Leavenworth about Eleanore's situation, revealing that Eleanore herself told Mary about the key being in her possession. The narrator presses Mary for information, but she denies knowledge of Eleanore's motives, leading to a tense exchange about the accusation Mary made against Eleanore.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Truth
The narrator presses Mary for the truth about Eleanore's silence and the key, while Mary withholds information and denies knowledge.
Guilt and Innocence
Eleanore's innocence is debated; the key and her silence create suspicion, and Mary's accusation is recalled.
Family and Loyalty
Mary and Eleanore are cousins; the narrator appeals to Mary's loyalty to help Eleanore, but Mary is evasive.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Describes his frustration with lack of progress, observes Harwell and Mary, and confronts Mary about Eleanore's key and the accusation.
- Mary Leavenworth
Shows agitation, haughty and feverish behavior; reveals Eleanore told her about the key; denies knowledge of Eleanore's motives; becomes defensive when reminded of her accusation.
- Eleanore Leavenworth
Mentioned as the subject of suspicion; her silence about the key is discussed; she allegedly told Mary about the key.
- Mr. Harwell
Described as an excellent amanuensis, stiff, unbending, sombre, reliable; never speaks of Eleanore or the family trouble.
- Henry Clavering
Forsakes his usual haunts, depriving the narrator of opportunity to make his acquaintance.
- Mr. Gryce
Mentioned as being present with the narrator when they overheard Mary's accusation.
Key passages
“This continual beating against a stone wall, for thus I regarded it, became at last almost unendurable.”
The narrator feels he is making no progress and finds the situation frustrating.
Expresses the narrator's sense of futility in his investigation.
“Only her hitherto spotless reputation, and the efforts of one who, notwithstanding appearances, believes in her innocence, keeps her so long from the clutch of the officers of justice.”
Eleanore's good name and the narrator's belief in her innocence are the only things preventing her arrest.
Highlights the precariousness of Eleanore's position.
“I longed to break this silence as we shiver glass: by shouting the name of Eleanore through those gilded rooms and satin-draped vestibules.”
The narrator wants to shatter the oppressive silence by openly discussing Eleanore.
Illustrates the narrator's desperation to address the unspoken tension.