The Prime Minister · Chapter
Mrs. Dick's Dinner Party.—No. I explained
Emily Wharton and her father, Mr.
What happens
Emily Wharton and her father, Mr. Wharton, continue their tense standoff over her relationship with Ferdinand Lopez. Mr. Wharton's inquiries yield no concrete evidence against Lopez, but he remains opposed to the match on grounds of the man's foreign origins and lack of established roots. Emily presses for a reason, and her aunt, Mrs. Roby, manipulates the situation to force a meeting. Eventually, Mr. Wharton relents and agrees to attend a dinner party at Mrs. Roby's, where Lopez will be present. The chapter introduces the political context of the coalition government and the guests at the dinner, including Mr. Thomas Roby, Mr. Mills Happerton, Sir Damask and Lady Monogram, and a peer of Parliament.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Identity
Mr. Wharton's objection to Lopez is rooted in Lopez's foreign origins and lack of English gentlemanly roots, reflecting anxieties about social identity and class.
Duty vs. Personal Desire
Emily struggles between her duty to obey her father and her personal desire to be with Lopez, while Mr. Wharton wrestles with his duty as a parent and his desire for his daughter's happiness.
Deception and Self-Invention
Mrs. Roby deceives Mr. Wharton by pretending to support his wishes while secretly arranging for Lopez to meet Emily, and Lopez's mysterious background continues to be a point of contention.
Characters to notice
- Emily Lopez
Emily is caught between her father's prohibition and her attachment to Lopez; she obeys outwardly but makes her unhappiness clear.
- Abel Wharton
Mr. Wharton struggles with his authority and doubts about his opposition to Lopez; he eventually agrees to attend the dinner where Lopez will be present.
- Ferdinand Lopez
Lopez is invited to Mrs. Roby's dinner party, and his influence in the household is evident through the presence of his friend Mr. Mills Happerton.
- Mrs. Roby
Mrs. Roby manipulates the situation to force a meeting between Emily and Lopez, acting against Mr. Wharton's wishes while feigning concern for Emily's reputation.
- Everett Wharton
Everett is mentioned as having been present at the dinner party, arriving late as a parliamentary magnate.
Key passages
“Our readers must not forget the troubles of poor Emily Wharton amidst the gorgeous festivities of the new Prime Minister.”
The narrator reminds readers that Emily's personal struggles continue even as the political world celebrates the new Prime Minister.
Sets the contrast between private sorrow and public celebration.
“I have made inquiry. I don't know anything about him. Nobody knows anything about him.”
Mr. Wharton admits that his investigation into Lopez has revealed no concrete information.
Highlights the mystery surrounding Lopez's background.
“It comes to this, papa, that I am to sever myself from a man to whom I am attached, and whom you must admit that I have been allowed to meet from day to day with no caution that his intimacy was unpleasant to you, because he is called—Lopez.”
Emily argues that she is being forced to give up a man she loves simply because of his foreign name, despite having been allowed to associate with him freely before.
Emily challenges her father's reasoning, emphasizing the unfairness of his objection.
“I never said a word about her not meeting him. Of course I do not wish that any meeting should be contrived between them.”
Mr. Wharton clarifies that he did not forbid Emily from meeting Lopez, but he does not want any arranged meetings.
Shows Mr. Wharton's attempt to avoid a public scandal while still opposing the relationship.
“What must he think when he knows—as of course he does know—that she has been forbidden to meet him? It must make him fancy that he is made very much of. All that is so very bad for a girl!”
Mrs. Roby argues that the prohibition makes Emily appear overly interested in Lopez, damaging her reputation.
Mrs. Roby manipulates Mr. Wharton by appealing to his concern for Emily's social standing.
