# XXVII: β€œOn My Honour, I Do Not Understand It.” explained β€” The Small House at Allington > Chapter companion for The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope. ## What happens The chapter contrasts Lady Alexandrina De Courcy's pragmatic reflections on her engagement to Adolphus Crosbie with the growing unease at the Small House as Lily Dale receives a brief, unsettling note from Crosbie. Meanwhile, the squire returns to Allington with confirmation of Crosbie's betrayal, and he and Bernard Dale grapple with how to break the news to Lily. ## Themes in this chapter ### Love and Marriage Explores the contrast between Lily's romantic trust and Alexandrina's pragmatic calculation, as well as the social pressures surrounding engagement. ### Honor and Moral Integrity The squire and Bernard grapple with Crosbie's betrayal, questioning how to uphold family honor in an age when dueling is no longer acceptable. ### Betrayal and Trust Crosbie's duplicity is confirmed, shattering Lily's trust and forcing the Dale family to confront the consequences. ## Character check-ins ### Lady Alexandrina De Courcy Reflects on the advantages and disadvantages of marrying Crosbie, resolving to be a dutiful wife despite her family's lukewarm support. ### Lilian Dale Waits anxiously for letters from Crosbie, receives a brief and troubling note, but remains determined to trust him. ### Adolphus Crosbie Sends a curt note to Lily; his betrayal is confirmed by the squire's investigation in London. ### Christopher Dale Returns from London with confirmation of Crosbie's treachery, expressing shock and anger. ### Captain Bernard Dale Meets the squire at the station, learns of Crosbie's guilt, and struggles with how to proceed. ### Isabella Dale Present at the Small House, aware of Lily's anxiety and the squire's mysterious absence. ## Key lines > On my honour, Bernard, I do not understand it. It would have been impossible for me to write such a letter as that. The squire expresses bewilderment at Crosbie's cowardly betrayal, saying he could never have written such a letter himself. _Highlights the squire's moral outrage and the generational gap in understanding dishonorable behavior._ > I will write to you at length tomorrow. This is my first day in London, and I have been so driven about that I cannot write. Crosbie sends a brief, impersonal note to Lily, promising a longer letter later but offering no affectionate words. _Foreshadows Crosbie's abandonment and Lily's growing unease._ > She would do all in her power to make him comfortable, and would be specially careful not to irritate him by any insistence on her own higher rank. Alexandrina resolves to be a meek and dutiful wife, avoiding any assertion of her aristocratic status. _Reveals Alexandrina's pragmatic approach to marriage and her awareness of social dynamics._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_small_house_at_allington_se/chapters/xxvii-on-my-honour-i-do-not-understand-it - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_small_house_at_allington_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_small_house_at_allington_se/chapters