# A Golden Secret explained — The Trail of the Serpent

> Chapter companion for The Trail of the Serpent by M. E. Braddon.

## What happens

Jabez North visits the sick Jim Lomax in Blind Peter, where he encounters an old woman who hints at a valuable secret. Through a tense conversation, she reveals that Jim is his twin brother and that she is his grandmother, recounting how she attempted to drown him as an infant. Jabez learns of a 'golden secret' that she will only sell for money.

## Themes in this chapter

### Family and Secrets

Jabez discovers his twin brother and grandmother, and learns of a hidden secret tied to gold and his past.

### Urban Depravity and Poverty

The setting in Blind Peter highlights the squalor and desperation of the urban poor.

### Fate and Determinism

The old woman suggests fate played a role in Jabez's survival after being thrown into the river.

## Character check-ins

### Jabez North

Visits Blind Peter, interrogates the old woman about his origins, and learns of a secret involving gold.

### Jim Lomax

Lying ill in Blind Peter, revealed to be Jabez's twin brother.

### Blind Peter

The dilapidated alley where the scene takes place.

## Key lines

> The water couldn't have been deep enough. But it's not my fault, Lucy dear, for I saw it safely put away.

The old woman mutters about a secret involving something she put away, hinting at a hidden treasure or knowledge.

_Foreshadows the 'golden secret' that the old woman guards._

> Own brother—twin brother, my dear—that's all. And I'm your grandmother—your mother's mother.

The old woman reveals that Jim Lomax is Jabez's twin brother and she is their grandmother.

_Key revelation of Jabez's family ties._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters/iii-a-golden-secret
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_trail_of_the_serpent_se/chapters