The Venetians · Chapter
X: “As Things That Are Not Shall These Things Be” explained
Vansittart finds a flat for Lisa and her aunt near Cheyne Walk, furnishes it, and establishes them in London under the name 'Smith' to conceal his identity.
What happens
Vansittart finds a flat for Lisa and her aunt near Cheyne Walk, furnishes it, and establishes them in London under the name 'Smith' to conceal his identity. He visits them, enjoys their gratitude, and promises to find a singing-master for Lisa, while reflecting on his guilt and the sacrifice he is making.
Themes in this chapter
Guilt and Redemption
Vansittart seeks to atone for his past sins by providing for Lisa and her aunt, sacrificing a significant portion of his income as a form of penance.
Secrecy and Identity
Vansittart conceals his true name, adopting 'Smith' to avoid revealing his connection to the Venetian tragedy, highlighting his need to maintain a separate identity.
Characters to notice
- Jack Vansittart
Finds and furnishes a flat for Lisa and her aunt, using the alias 'Smith' to hide his identity. He feels a sense of duty and sacrifice, planning to give up two hundred a year for his conscience.
- Lisa Vivanti
Delighted with the new home and grateful to Vansittart. She is childlike and impulsive, pouting when he insists on calling her 'Madame Vivanti'.
- la Zia
Accompanies Lisa to the new flat, expresses heartfelt gratitude, and is impressed by the London sights.
- Fiordelisa
Vansittart refers to Lisa as Fiordelisa in his thoughts, remembering her from Venice. She is the same person as Lisa, but the alias is used in the narrative.
Key passages
“He felt as if he had been furnishing a doll’s house for the occupation of a talking doll, so childishly simple did Lisa’s intellect seem to him.”
Vansittart thought of the flat as a toy house for a simple-minded girl, reflecting his perception of Lisa's naivety.
This shows Vansittart's condescending view of Lisa, seeing her as childlike and uncomplicated.
“Two hundred a year would he forfeit for his sin; and he contemplated the sacrifice with so much the more satisfaction because of his cordial liking for the impulsive peasant girl whose fate had become interwoven with his own.”
He was willing to give up two hundred pounds annually as a penance, and he felt even better about it because he genuinely liked Lisa.
This highlights his sense of guilt and his attempt to make amends, while also showing his affection for Lisa.