The Man in the Brown Suit · Chapter
XXXVI explained
Two years later, Anne and Harry live on an island.
What happens
Two years later, Anne and Harry live on an island. Anne reads letters from Suzanne and Sir Eustace Pedler. Suzanne sends a wedding gift and advises them to enjoy their honeymoon before returning to civilization. Sir Eustace writes from Bolivia, sending his diary and expressing no malice. Anne reflects on Sir Eustace's attempts on her life, concluding with Suzanne's psychoanalytic explanation of a 'fear complex.' She also recalls the 'man in the brown suit' from an old newspaper. Anne and Harry have a son, who is described as brown as a berry and fond of digging.
Themes in this chapter
Adventure and Romance
Anne and Harry's life on the island, their son's adventurous digging, and the enduring romance between them.
Deception and Trust
Anne's reflection on Sir Eustace's attempts on her life, his genuine kindness, and the trust issues surrounding his motives.
Fate and Coincidence
Anne's chance discovery of the phrase 'the man in the brown suit' in an old newspaper, recalling the past.
Characters to notice
- Anne Beddingfeld
Now living on an island with Harry, reading letters from friends, reflecting on past events, and raising her son.
- Suzanne Blair
Writes a letter to Anne, calling them 'lunatics in love,' sending frying pans and pâté as a wedding gift, and later cabling congratulations on the birth of Anne's son.
- Sir Eustace Pedler
Writes from Bolivia, sends his diary to Anne, declares no malice, mentions a reserve fund, and sends a silver mug to Pagett's new child.
- Harry Rayburn
Living with Anne on the island, furious at Sir Eustace, and now a father to their son who digs in the earth.
- Colonel Race
Mentioned by Suzanne as wanting to argue about Harry renouncing the fortune, and as administering the estate for Harry.
- Guy Pagett
Mentioned by Sir Eustace as having a sixth child; Sir Eustace sent a silver mug and offered to be godfather.
Key passages
“Dear Babes in the Wood—Dear Lunatics in Love, I’m not surprised—not at all. All the time we’ve been talking Paris and frocks I felt that it wasn’t a bit real—that you’d vanish into the blue some day to be married over the tongs in the good old gipsy fashion.”
Suzanne writes to Anne, calling them 'babes in the wood' and 'lunatics in love,' saying she always sensed their Parisian life was unreal and that they would eventually elope in a gipsy style.
Suzanne's affectionate and perceptive letter to Anne.
“I think I shall appoint you my literary executor. I’m sending you my diary. There’s nothing in it that would interest Race and his crowd, but I fancy that there are passages in it which may amuse you.”
Sir Eustace tells Anne he is making her his literary executor and sending his diary, which contains amusing passages but nothing of interest to Colonel Race.
Sir Eustace's playful and self-serving letter to Anne.
“I can forgive Sir Eustace easily enough, but I shall never forgive Nadina. Never, never, never!”
Anne states she can forgive Sir Eustace for his actions, but she will never forgive Nadina for her deceit.
Anne's strong moral judgment on Nadina's pretense of love.