The Small House at Allington · Chapter
Preparations for the Wedding explained
The fourteenth of February is set as the wedding day for Adolphus Crosbie and Lady Alexandrina De Courcy, after pressure from Lady Amelia to avoid delay.
What happens
The fourteenth of February is set as the wedding day for Adolphus Crosbie and Lady Alexandrina De Courcy, after pressure from Lady Amelia to avoid delay. Alexandrina insists on a proper trousseau, causing tension with her mother, the countess. Crosbie visits the De Courcys and feels the coldness of his fiancée and the family's domestic decline, contrasting it with the warmth of the Dale household. He resigns himself to the marriage, planning to assert his authority afterward.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Status
The De Courcys' aristocratic pride clashes with Crosbie's plebeian background, evident in the trousseau dispute and the countess's domestic negligence.
Love and Marriage
Crosbie's engagement is devoid of affection; Alexandrina's coldness contrasts with Lily Dale's passionate love, highlighting the transactional nature of this union.
Family and Obligation
Family pressures drive the wedding date and trousseau decisions, with the countess sacrificing for her daughter while resenting the cost.
Characters to notice
- Adolphus Crosbie
Resigned to the wedding, feels the coldness of his fiancée and the De Courcy household, contrasts it with the Dale home.
- Lady Alexandrina De Courcy
Insists on a proper trousseau, shows coldness toward Crosbie, withdraws her hand when he tries to caress her.
- Countess De Courcy
Cross with Alexandrina over trousseau expenses, displays domestic indifference to Crosbie, arranges the wedding date.
- Amelia Roper
Mentioned as Lady Amelia Gazebee; she pressures for an earlier wedding date due to concerns about Crosbie's behavior.
- Mortimer Gazebee
Hosts Alexandrina in St. John's Wood, but avoids hosting the countess due to discomfort.
Key passages
“Alas! alas! a man cannot so easily repent of his sins, and wash himself white from their stains!”
A man cannot simply repent and become clean of his sins.
Reflects Crosbie's moral struggle and the lasting consequences of his actions.
“He remembered at the moment a certain scene which took place one evening at the little bridge at Allington, and Lily’s voice, and Lily’s words, and Lily’s passion, as he caressed her: 'Oh, my love, my love, my love!'”
He recalled a tender moment with Lily at the bridge in Allington, where she expressed her love passionately.
Contrasts the warmth of Lily's love with Alexandrina's coldness, highlighting Crosbie's regret.