The Mystery of Edwin Drood · Chapter
When Shall These Three Meet Again? explained
On Christmas Eve in Cloisterham, the town is festive with seasonal decorations and amusements.
What happens
On Christmas Eve in Cloisterham, the town is festive with seasonal decorations and amusements. Neville Landless prepares for a trip, packing a knapsack and a heavy walking-stick, which Mr. Crisparkle notes as too heavy. Jasper sings beautifully at Vespers, appearing composed and healthy, and tells Crisparkle he plans to burn his diary at year's end, attributing his previous gloom to exaggeration. Later, Jasper arrives at Crisparkle's house in a frantic state, half-dressed, asking for his nephew Edwin, who went to the river with Neville and has not returned. Neville left early that morning. The chapter ends with Jasper's distress and the implication of Edwin's disappearance.
Themes in this chapter
Mystery and the Unknown
The chapter builds suspense with Neville's secretive preparations and Jasper's frantic search for Edwin, hinting at the impending mystery of Edwin's disappearance.
Duality and Deception
Jasper presents a composed and healthy exterior while hiding his inner turmoil, and his plan to burn his diary suggests a desire to conceal his true self.
Characters to notice
- Neville Landless
Prepares for a trip, packs a knapsack and a heavy walking-stick, and leaves early in the morning.
- Septimus Crisparkle
Observes Neville's preparations, comments on the stick's weight, and later speaks with Jasper about his improved spirits.
- John Jasper
Sings beautifully at Vespers, appears composed, plans to burn his diary, and later frantically inquires about Edwin's whereabouts.
- Edwin Drood
Mentioned as having gone to the river with Neville and not returned.
- Thomas Sapsea
Comments unfavorably on Neville's complexion, calling it 'Un-English.'
Key passages
“Christmas Eve in Cloisterham. A few strange faces in the streets; a few other faces, half strange and half familiar, once the faces of Cloisterham children, now the faces of men and women who come back from the outer world at long intervals to find the city wonderfully shrunken in size, as if it had not washed by any means well in the meanwhile.”
On Christmas Eve, Cloisterham sees a few unfamiliar visitors and some former residents returning after long absences, who find the town smaller than they remembered.
Sets the festive yet nostalgic tone of the chapter.
“He also purchased, at the same time and at the same place, a heavy walking-stick; strong in the handle for the grip of the hand, and iron-shod.”
He also bought a sturdy walking stick with a strong handle and an iron tip.
Foreshadows Neville's potential involvement in violence.
“I mean to burn this year's Diary at the year's end.”
I plan to destroy my diary at the end of the year.
Jasper's statement hints at his desire to erase evidence of his dark moods.