The Nebuly Coat · Chapter
XIX explained
Anastasia Joliffe marries Lord Blandamer in a quiet ceremony.
What happens
Anastasia Joliffe marries Lord Blandamer in a quiet ceremony. Upon her return to Cullerne, she holds receptions at Bellevue Lodge. The couple travels extensively and has a son. The town decides to ring the bells of Saint Sepulchre's to celebrate their return, despite Westray's warnings about the tower's instability. After the peal, Westray discovers a crack in the tower has worsened, foreshadowing potential disaster.
Themes in this chapter
Decay and Preservation
Westray's concern for the tower's structural integrity contrasts with the town's desire to celebrate, highlighting the tension between preservation and tradition.
Social Class and Ambition
Anastasia's marriage elevates her social status, and the town's celebration underscores class dynamics and aspirations.
The Past and Memory
The bells evoke memories of historical events, and the 'nebuly coat' legend continues to haunt the present.
Characters to notice
- Miss Anastasia Joliffe
Marries Lord Blandamer and returns to Cullerne as Lady Blandamer, hosting receptions at Bellevue Lodge.
- Lord Blandamer
Marries Anastasia Joliffe; his return to Cullerne prompts the bell-ringing celebration.
- Mr. Westray
Warns against ringing the bells due to structural concerns; discovers the crack in the tower has worsened after the peal.
- Canon Parkyn
Proposes the bell-ringing to honor Lord Blandamer, dismissing Westray's warnings.
- Mrs. Parkyn
Supports the bell-ringing and criticizes Westray as a 'vain young upstart'.
- Clerk Janaway
Participates in the bell-ringing and later tries to reassure Westray about the crack.
Key passages
“The wedding was quiet, and there being no newspapers at that time to take such matters for their province, Cullerne curiosity had to be contented with the bare announcement: 'At Saint Agatha’s-at-Bow, Horatio Sebastian Fynes, Lord Blandamer, to Anastasia, only child of the late Martin Joliffe, of Cullerne Wharfe.'”
The wedding was a private affair, and without modern media coverage, the townspeople of Cullerne only learned of it through a simple announcement.
Highlights the secrecy and lack of public fanfare surrounding the marriage.
“Westray had bowed like loyal again, 'They have bound on us a burden too heavy to be borne; but we are shifting it. The arch never sleeps.'”
Westray, recalling the arch's constant pressure, felt the burden of the tower's instability as the bells rang.
Foreshadows the structural danger and Westray's anxiety.
“I wish to Heaven the peal had been interrupted. I wish your bells had never been rung. Look there—and he pointed at the strip of paper.”
Westray regrets the bell-ringing, pointing to the torn paper strip as evidence of the damage caused.
Emphasizes Westray's foreboding and the immediate consequence of the celebration.