The Return · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Return by Walter de la Mare.
Chapter 1
Epigraph
The epigraph quotes Sir Thomas Browne, warning against proximity to corruption and the danger of being tainted by evil influences.
Chapter 2
The Return
Arthur Lawford returns home after his unsettling experience at Widderstone churchyard, only to find that his face has changed. He struggles to convince his wife Sheila of his identity, leading to a tense confrontation that underscores his growing isolation and the supernatural nature of his transformation.
Chapter 3
I
Arthur Lawford, recovering from an illness, wanders into the quiet churchyard of Widderstone. He reflects on his life, his marriage, and a growing sense of melancholy and unreality. After falling into a deep reverie, he awakens in the dark and hurries home. Upon arriving, he discovers that his face has changed in the mirror, leading to a tense confrontation with his wife Sheila, who cannot understand his distress. Lawford struggles with the horrifying transformation and his own sanity.
Chapter 4
Chapter II
Lawford reveals his transformed face to his wife Sheila, who reacts with disbelief and suspicion. She locks him in his room, seeks advice from Mr. Bethany, and struggles to accept the reality of his condition. Lawford, isolated and desperate, tries to maintain composure while reading Quain's medical dictionary for answers.
Chapter 5
III
Mr. Bethany visits the Lawfords and attempts to understand Arthur's strange transformation after his ramble to Widderstone churchyard. Lawford recounts his memory of kneeling by a tombstone, falling asleep, and waking changed. Despite Bethany's probing, Lawford insists he was alone. The vicar, deeply unsettled by the change in Lawford's appearance, advises rest and caution. After Bethany leaves, Sheila and Arthur share a tense, sorrowful exchange, and she has prepared a separate bed for him.
Chapter 6
IV
Lawford is locked in his room by Sheila and spends the night confronting his transformed reflection in the mirror. He compares his old photograph with his new face, grapples with thoughts of suicide and insanity, and ultimately resigns himself to his situation, murmuring pity for Sheila.
Chapter 7
V
Lawford is examined by Dr. Simon, who attributes his changed appearance and mental state to a chill and nervous shock from influenza. Mr. Bethany and Mrs. Lawford conspire to manage the situation, hiding a sealed letter and controlling Lawford's access to money. Lawford pleads for his wife's genuine companionship, but she remains distant. The next morning, Mr. Bethany returns early, troubled by the implications of the transformation, and he and Mrs. Lawford discuss the precariousness of identity and the need for circumspection.
Chapter 8
VI
Lawford's encounter with Miss Sinnet goes disastrously wrong when he mistakenly calls her 'Miss Bennett,' confirming his fear that his face and identity have changed. He returns home to find Sheila has taken his keys and locked him out, leading to a tense confrontation. Later, he escapes the house and runs to a common, where he contemplates flight and the possibility of reclaiming his old self.
Chapter 9
VII
Lawford, recovering from influenza, is visited by Mr. Bethany who believes he is improving. Lawford resolves to return to Widderstone to reverse his transformation, but his hope is shaken by his daughter Alice's fearful reaction to his changed face. He experiences a sinister presence while searching for a book on hallucinations.
Chapter 10
Chapter VIII
Lawford, increasingly restless and craving solitude, argues with Sheila about his need to go out despite her fears. He feels a growing internal conflict between his old self and a strange new consciousness. Sheila leaves for church, and Lawford prepares to sneak out, longing for the twilight and the graveyard.
Chapter 11
IX
Lawford returns to the graveyard at dusk and finds a stranger sitting by Sabathier's grave. They discuss the suicide, the possibility of the dead answering back, and the nature of death. The stranger reveals himself as Herbert Herbert, and invites Lawford to visit him. As they part, Herbert sees Lawford's face in the moonlight and reacts with astonishment.
Chapter 12
Chapter X
Mr. Bethany and Mr. Danton discuss Arthur Lawford's strange affliction, with Bethany arguing for faith and patience while Danton remains skeptical. Lawford descends and confronts Danton with bitter sarcasm, then retreats. Later, Lawford returns from a walk, examines his changed face in the mirror, and angrily resists Sheila's attempts to manage him. He agrees to meet Danton, leading to a tense confrontation.
Chapter 13
XI
Lawford wakes from a troubled sleep and is confronted by Sheila about his strange behavior the previous night. He struggles with his altered appearance and the fear that his mind is affected. Later, he encounters his daughter Alice, who fails to recognize him, leading to a painful confrontation and Alice fainting. Lawford flees the house in despair.
Chapter 14
XII
Lawford confesses his fear of insanity to Herbert, who responds with calm skepticism. Herbert reveals that Lawford's changed face resembles an engraving of Nicholas Sabathier, an 18th-century French figure. Herbert theorizes that Sabathier's restless spirit may have possessed Lawford's body during his sleep in the churchyard. Herbert also describes a ghostly figure that searches his room and then fades into the occupant, suggesting a mechanism for spiritual entry and exit.
Chapter 15
XIII
Lawford meets Grisel, Herbert's sister, and is deeply moved by her presence. After a moment of emotional breakdown, she follows him into the night, offering companionship and understanding. They walk together, overcoming his fear of the churchyard. Later, Lawford examines the French book, finding a portrait that disturbs him. He returns home to find Alice waiting, and they share a tender but strained reconciliation before he falls asleep, only to wake locked in his room.
Chapter 16
XIV
Sheila confronts Lawford about his late return and his visit to Widderstone, leading to a heated argument about his changed face and their marriage. She accuses him of madness and selfishness, while Lawford admits feeling 'possessed.' After a tense exchange, Sheila withdraws her harsh words and offers conditional loyalty, but Lawford questions whether love can survive his transformation. He then reads the book on Sabathier, noting the resemblance in the mirror, and listens for Sheila's movements.
Chapter 17
XV
Lawford, in a state of profound mental and emotional turmoil, experiences a terrifying descent into madness after his wife and household have fled. He is visited by Mr. Bethany, who tries to reason with him about the supernatural events surrounding Sabathier's grave. Lawford confesses his fears and the strange influence he feels, but ultimately rejects Bethany's advice, claiming a stubborn pride and defiance against solitude and ghosts. The chapter ends with Lawford escorting Bethany out, leaving him alone in the darkened house.
Chapter 18
XVI
Lawford, grappling with his altered identity, seeks solace in ordinary encounters—a barber, a baker's wife—and later meets Grisel in the churchyard. They discuss his transformation, fear, and courage, while he reflects on his isolation and the mystery of his condition. He returns home at dawn, eats, sleeps in Alice's room, and reads Sabathier's memoirs, finding a semblance of peace in solitude.
Chapter 19
Chapter XVII
Lawford visits Herbert and Grisel, where Herbert attempts to rationalize Lawford's transformation as a product of imagination and self-hypnosis, suggesting he has 'Sabathiered' himself. Lawford, weary and detached, recounts his ordeal and the lack of recognition from others, including Mr. Bethany. The chapter ends with Lawford agreeing to stay the night, feeling empty and unable to face the solitary walk home.
Chapter 20
XVIII
Lawford spends a morning with Herbert, who expounds on genius and the nature of life, then joins Grisel for a picnic where they discuss his changed appearance and sanity. Grisel reassures him that his identity remains intact, though he remains troubled.
Chapter 21
XIX
Lawford discovers that the portrait and memoir of Sabathier have been removed from the book, realizing Sheila has taken them. He returns home to an empty, strange house, then leaves with Grisel, who offers him refuge. He struggles with his conscience and his past, ultimately deciding to go with her.
Chapter 22
Chapter XX
Lawford, staying with Herbert and Grisel, struggles with haunting memories and visions, particularly a mysterious connection to a place called Detcham. After a restless night and a disturbing episode on a hill, he finds some solace in Grisel's music but remains tormented by fragmented recollections and a fear of losing his sanity.
Chapter 23
Chapter XXI
Lawford bids farewell to Herbert and Grisel, confessing his transformation into Nicholas Sabathier and his inability to return to his old life. Grisel insists he must face his fate, and they part at a milestone, leaving Lawford to run home in despair.
Chapter 24
XXII
In a tense gathering at the Lawford home, Sheila reveals to Danton, Mrs. Lovat, and Mr. Craik that her husband Arthur's changed face is identical to that of Nicholas de Sabathier, a man dead for over a century. Danton dismisses it as trickery but insists on hushing up the scandal by committing Lawford to an asylum. Ada, the maid, claims Dr. Ferguson has been haunting the house. Lawford, hiding nearby, listens in despair, feeling trapped in a farce. The group departs nervously, leaving the front door open.
Chapter 25
XXIII
Lawford sits alone in the dark, reflecting on his isolation and the nature of existence, haunted by thoughts of Sabathier and the mystery of life. Miss Sinnet visits and recounts a strange encounter on Bewley Heath with a man who claimed to be Mary Lawford's son, leading to a discussion about identity, memory, and the past.
