The Magician · Chapter
II explained
Margaret Dauncey and Susie Boyd await Arthur Burdon's visit to their Paris flat.
What happens
Margaret Dauncey and Susie Boyd await Arthur Burdon's visit to their Paris flat. Susie reflects on her own life and her affection for Margaret, while Arthur and Margaret's romantic history is revealed: Arthur was her guardian and secretly paid for her upbringing and art studies. Margaret discovers this and confesses her love, leading to their engagement. During tea, Susie observes Arthur's intense capacity for suffering and warns Margaret to be careful with his heart.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Sacrifice
Arthur's secret financial support for Margaret and his willingness to let her pursue art before marriage exemplify selfless love. Margaret's gratitude and devotion mirror this theme.
Art and Beauty
Margaret's pursuit of art in Paris, the studio setting, and Susie's caricature drawing highlight the chapter's focus on artistic life and aesthetic appreciation.
Isolation and Entrapment
Susie's reflections on her own lonely life as a former schoolmistress and her unfulfilled desire for love suggest a sense of emotional entrapment despite her newfound freedom.
Characters to notice
- Margaret Dauncey
Waits eagerly for Arthur's visit; her romantic history with Arthur is recounted, including her discovery of his financial support and their engagement.
- Susie Boyd
Margaret's flatmate and former teacher; she observes Arthur and Margaret's relationship with a mix of affection and envy, and warns Margaret about Arthur's emotional vulnerability.
- Arthur Burdon
Arrives for tea; his past guardianship of Margaret and secret financial support are revealed, as well as his deep love for her. Susie notes his intense capacity for suffering.
Key passages
“She was a plain woman; but there was no envy in her, and she took the keenest pleasure in Margaret’s comeliness.”
Susie, though not attractive herself, genuinely delighted in Margaret's beauty without jealousy.
Highlights Susie's self-awareness and generous spirit.
“I don't want you to be grateful to me, because I was hoping—I might ask you to marry me some day.”
Arthur confesses that he supported Margaret not for gratitude but because he hoped to marry her.
Reveals Arthur's romantic intentions and his desire for a genuine connection.
“I've never seen anyone with such a capacity for wretchedness as that man has.”
Susie observes that Arthur seems capable of profound unhappiness.
Foreshadows potential emotional turmoil in Arthur's future.