The Venetians · Chapter
XX: Peggy’s Chance explained
Eve and Vansittart take Peggy to Cannes for her health, hoping the southern climate will give her a chance.
What happens
Eve and Vansittart take Peggy to Cannes for her health, hoping the southern climate will give her a chance. They enjoy the beauty of the Riviera, but Peggy's condition worsens, and Eve's grief deepens. Vansittart tries to comfort Eve with thoughts of their future child, but the shadow of Peggy's illness looms over their happiness.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Sacrifice
Vansittart sacrifices his own pleasures to accompany Eve and Peggy to Cannes, and Eve's grief for Peggy is a testament to her love for her sister.
Fate and Consequence
The chapter deals with the inevitability of Peggy's fate and the consequences of hereditary disease, as well as the uncertainty of Eve's future health.
Characters to notice
- Eve Marchant
Eve is grieving for her sister Peggy and finds comfort in the place Peggy loved, but her grief is overwhelming. She is also expecting a child, which gives Vansittart hope for her future happiness.
- Jack Vansittart
Vansittart is concerned about Eve's grief and tries to persuade her to leave Cannes for the sake of her health and their future child. He is also anxious about the possibility of hereditary disease.
- Peggy
Peggy is the ailing sister, whose only chance of survival is the southern climate. She is joyful about the trip but her condition is serious, and her death is foreshadowed.
- Dr. Bright
Dr. Bright is the physician who watches over Peggy in Cannes, giving her an additional chance in her struggle with illness.
Key passages
“Vansittart told the doctor of Eve’s buoyant spirits and energy, her long walks and untiring pleasure in natural scenery.”
Vansittart described Eve's lively and energetic nature to the doctor, noting her love for walking and the outdoors.
This shows Vansittart's hope that Eve's health is not affected by hereditary disease.
“The thought of Eve’s coming happiness as a mother was his chief comfort.”
Vansittart found his main solace in the idea that Eve would soon be a mother, which would bring her joy and distract her from grief.
This highlights Vansittart's reliance on the future child as a source of hope.
“I like to be here in the place she loved. I can at least console myself with remembering how happy she was with us.”
Eve expressed a desire to stay in Cannes because it was a place Peggy loved, and she found comfort in memories of Peggy's happiness there.
Eve's attachment to the place is a way of coping with her loss.