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The Mystery of Edwin Drood
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Mystery of Edwin Drood - Week 5: Ch. XII - XIV
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Such contrasting and interesting chapters, my favourite being the middle one when Edwin, in my view, redeems himself. There is comedy in the first chapter, but shadowed by this….
’ ‘’Ware that there mound by the yard-gate, Mister Jarsper.’ ‘I see it. What is it?’ ‘Lime.’ Mr. Jasper stops, and waits for him to come up, for he lags behind. ‘What you call quick-lime?’ ‘Ay!’ says Durdles; ‘quick enough to eat your boots. With a little handy stirring, quick enough to eat your bones.’
The second chapter is full of tenderness, something the reader has seen little of in the rest of the novel so far.
In the third, the quite mundane descriptions of how each of the men spent their day are blown apart by the overwhelming destructive storm that tears into what should be a celebratory time for the ecclesiastical town.
In all three chapters, Jasper’s ominous presence seems menacing, especially in the way he followed Edwin and Rosa during their revelatory heart to heart.
Brave Rosa and equally compassionate Edwin finally admitted to each other how much their forced engagement had damaged their feelings for each other. Edwin, no longer the brattish, arrogant boy, showed his growing maturing in rejecting Rosa’s condescendingly offensive nickname and resolving to…
’ be guided by what she says, and by how we get on,’ was his decision, walking from the gatehouse to the Nuns’ House. ‘Whatever comes of it, I will bear his (Grewgious’) words in mind, and try to be true to the living and the dead.’
His redemption in my eyes was summed up by this….
’ He had always patronised her, in his superiority to her share of woman’s wit. Was that but another instance of something radically amiss in the terms on which they had been gliding towards a life-long bondage?’
But their heart to heart discussion left them unburdened and
’ This pure young feeling, this gentle and forbearing feeling of each towards the other, brought with it its reward in a softening light that seemed to shine on their position. The relations between them did not look wilful, or capricious, or a failure, in such a light; they became elevated into something more self-denying, honourable, affectionate, and true.’
Their fervent kisses when they parted only highlighted how much affection remained, an affection blighted by the interference of others.
Both the storm and something happening to Edwin seemed to have been building for some time in the previous chapters. It felt almost supernatural that the storm and Jasper’s dinner party coincided. I loved this exquisite description by Dickens.
All through the night the wind blows, and abates not. But early in the morning, when there is barely enough light in the east to dim the stars, it begins to lull. From that time, with occasional wild charges, like a wounded monster dying, it drops and sinks; and at full daylight it is dead.
Not only has the town been blown apart, but also the participants of Jaspers Dinner party. In the morning only Jasper remained, an ominous sign after such a wild night.
Mod
“Cement: Calcium oxide is a key ingredient for the process of making cement.”
“Disposal of corpses: Historically, it was mistakenly believed that quicklime was efficacious in accelerating the decomposition of corpses. The application of quicklime can, in fact, promote preservation. Quicklime can aid in eradicating the stench of decomposition, which may have led people to the erroneous conclusion.” (Which is what I thought would be its likely use, until I looked it up.)
My wonder is whether Dickens would have believed that quicklime could be used to hide the evidence of murder if murder is afoot.
Mod
1. Used to wall up a body, as with Poe’s Amontillado story.
2. The disposal of a pesky corpse.
3. The murderer may believe the quicklime will make quick work of a pesky corpse, when it is more likely to preserve it to be found damningly later.
Mod
Otherwise it has to be someone else, which hardly seems credible.
I’m also wondering if the Opium Lady or the Deputy kid or someone like that, will have evidence either for convicting or for blackmail.
I was wondering when we would get to the mystery...and now it has arrived. It seems that the setup is that Jasper has murdered Edwin with that black cloth that was wrapped around his neck earlier but which he unwound on his way to the dinner, and he will be blaming Neville. Presumably, Mr. Crisparkle saw Neville on his way that morning, but that isn't clear. There seems to be some setup with Jasper and the jeweler's and the discussion of Edwin only wearing a watch. I thought it was a nice touch to have the jeweler reminding Edwin to wind his watch, and then the tower clock stopped during the storm.
Further thoughts on Jasper--was he brother to Edwin's mother or father? I can imagine a scenario in which Jasper is jealous of the "easy" life that Edwin has, and the sociopathic thought that Edwin somehow robbed Jasper of what was rightfully his...including Rosa.
I'm eager to read on, though I hate the thought of Edwin being murdered--I really liked him!
It's kind of weird to be thinking about Dickens writing this shortly before his own death--some of the phrases and narrative thoughts seem especially dark, knowing that the author did not have long to live himself.
I distrust Jasper completely, but I have wondered if Mr. Dickens was planting suspicions in our minds about Jasper when the real villain will only be exposed later. That is not usual with Dickens. His villains are usually quite easy to spot, even if there is a layer of charm that disguises them at first. And, of course, we may never know the real villain because the book remained unfinished.I continue to admire Rosa for her strength of character. While she at first appeared to be one of Dickens' toy-like women (Dora in David Copperfield for example), she has shown herself to be thoughtful and determined to make the decisions which are right for her. I think Edwin would also have spoken up about their engagement, but he was much more tentative in his approach. I also wonder if the ring he kept might have great significance later in the novel.
Mod
There is comedy in the first chapter, but shadowed by this….
’ ‘’Ware that t..."
What a lovely analysis of each chapter, Trev! Just as we see Edwin start to grow and his life take this sudden turn into new possibilities, he is missing. As Renee pointed out, if Edwin is missing, Jasper's behavior makes him suspect. I just wonder, though. I can't believe that Dickens would have made the key to the mystery so obvious unless, as Renee also noted, the mystery for the reader is whether the characters catch on and justice is served. This book is actually much more of a mystery than he intended since we'll never know the true story. :(
Mod
“Cement: Calcium oxide is a key ingredient for the process of making cement.”
“Disposal of corpses: Historically, it was mistakenly believed th..."
When I read this part, I was just reminded of how different things were back then. They kind of frown now on people leaving piles of dangerous chemicals sitting around for children to possibly get into! I, too, thought it was used to dissolve bodies, so I learned something new!
Mod
I don't know, but my guess would be that Jasper was Edwin's mother's brother? If he was Edwin's dad's brother, I would presume that they would have the same last name.
Mod
I wondered the same thing, Nancy. You are right about Dickens' villains, but I would have thought it would be different for an out-and-out mystery. It is so key that the readers NOT know who the guilty party is! Surely Dickens would have understood that. He did give us the ultimate mystery--trying to work out what he would have written.
I also wondered about the ring. I think it could very well turn up again, possibly as a critical clue.
Trev wrote: " ’Ware that there mound by the yard-gate, Mister Jarsper.’ ‘I see it. What is it?’ ‘Lime.’ Mr. Jasper stops, and waits for him to come up, for he lags behind. ‘What you call quick-lime?’ ‘Ay!’ says Durdles; ‘quick enough to eat your boots. With a little handy stirring, quick enough to eat your bones."One begins to wonder whether Jasper's unspoken question is whether it is quick enough to dispose of the remains of one Edwin Drood?!
Paul W
Chapter XII - “A Night With Durdles”
On to the second half of what we have of this book! The beginning of this chapter already brought a smile to my face: Mr. Sapsea finds “the contemplation of his own profundity becoming a little monotonous in spite of the vastness of the subject” (95). I know that Dickens’ loquaciousness is not to everyone’s taste, but what a smooth and humorous way to tell us that the character is self-important! Limiting Dickens’ words is like withholding paints from Picasso–in my opinion, anyway! Everyone is entitled to their own, of course. Okay, I’ve gotten my Dickens fangirl moment out of the way, so let’s get back to the chapters.
Mr. Jasper, apparently for his own amusement, has asked Durdles to give him a personal midnight tour of the graveyard and tombs. He claims to be intrigued by Durdles and wishes to know him better–a desire that he attributes to Mr. Sapsea’s insightful remarks and masterful dealings with the odd character. They set off on this expedition, armed with Durdles’ bag with his dinner and the bottle of alcohol that Mr. Jasper is contributing to the party. This quickly makes its way into Durdles’ possession, and he refreshes himself from it frequently. Mr. Jasper limits himself to one pull, which he unaccountably spits out.
On the way to the tombs, they see Mr. Crisparkle and Neville, and Mr. Jasper instructs Durdles to hide from them, explaining that the pair will only delay their expedition. Durdles observes that Jasper “watches Neville, as though his eye were at the trigger of a loaded rifle, and he had covered him, and were going to fire” (99). There is little to be gleaned from the conversation between Mr. Crisparkle and his mentee, only a few words here and there, but enough to confirm that Mr. Jasper’s name is mentioned. Durdles is disconcerted when Mr. Jasper bursts into laughter after the other two men have moved on–he sees nothing around them to provoke that reaction.
I really liked the paragraph about how most of the town’s inhabitants would deny the existence of ghosts but would also go out of their way to avoid the deserted walks around the Cathedral’s graveyard at night. I liked the description of this fear as “the innate shrinking of dust with the breath of life in it from dust out of which the breath of life has passed” (100). They enter the crypt (which is locked, and Durdles keeps the key close) and Durdles tells Mr. Jasper the histories of some of the burials there. They then go through the locked gate into the staircase leading to the Tower (again, Durdles keeps this key close, as well) and go up to look out upon the sleeping town.
Durdles becomes aware that Jasper is watching him closely but before he can ponder this, he is overcome with drowsiness and slumps down next to a pillar and falls asleep. Jasper charitably tells him to rest and that he will stay with him. Durdles dreams that he can hear his companion’s footsteps pacing to and fro until they fade into the distance. He imagines that he feels someone touching him, and then he thinks he feels something dropping from his hand. He startles awake to find that it is 2 a.m. and that the key to the crypt door is lying beside him on the pavement. They start to leave, Durdles still feeling drunk, and seeing that Jasper is still watching him carefully, he asks Mr. Jasper what he is suspected of. Mr. Jasper laughs it off and they leave the church only to be accosted by the vigilant young stoner, who begins doing his duty with enthusiasm.
Mr. Jasper is enraged by this and goes after the boy, trying to jerk him over the fence. The young rascal digs in his heels and allows himself to be strangled while preventing himself from being hauled over the fence. Jasper drops him and the boy retreats, threatening to blind Mr. Jasper. Durdles gets between Jasper and the boy and begs Jasper not to hurt him. Jasper accuses the boy of following them and spying on them, which the imp denies. Jasper allows him to leave and returns to his house, brooding. Does anyone else feel that Jasper’s visit to the tombs might have been prompted by something beyond a thirst for knowledge? And what’s with the mood swings? He seems like he might be losing his grip on this humble, respectable facade that he has so carefully crafted.
Chapter XIII
“Both at Their Best”
The academic term has ended at Miss Twinkleham’s establishment and the young ladies depart, leaving Rosa and Helena, both of whom have no other home to return to. Rosa has noticed that Helena studiously avoids any mention of Edwin,but she is puzzled as to why. This avoidance on Helena’s part discourages Rosa from the confidences she would have shared about her doubts about her engagement. She keeps them to herself, having no one else she can confide in.
Edwin, meanwhile, is showing signs of growth. Mr Grewgious’s solemn exhortations to him about the gravity of offering the ring to Rosa and all that it represented had struck a nerve within the heedless boy. He is aware that he falls short of the expectations Rosa’s guardian had defined for their relationship and future. After an unusually serious conversation, the pair agree to end the engagement and have a brother/sister relationship since they feel that their affection transcends mere friendship. Rosa points out the wisdom of acknowledging their dissatisfaction with this arrangement (which was not of their making) and ending it before it is too late. She asserts that once they are trapped in marriage, the dissatisfaction will turn to anger and resentment and destroy any affection they ever had for each other.
When Edwin starts wondering how he will break this news to Jack, Rosa is visibly uncomfortable. They decide that the best course of action is to summon Mr. Grewgious and let him tell Jack what has been decided. Edwin is worried that Jack is so “wrapped up” in Edwin’s life that the news is sure to overset him and could bring on “a kind of paroxysm” (112). According to Edwin, Jack is so overprotective of Edwin that he is “almost womanish” in that regard (112). They speak briefly of their plans for the immediate future and Edwin escorts Rosa back to the Nuns’ House. He notices that Jack is following them and watching them from afar and attributes this to Jack’s fondness for him. Rosa silently attributes it to him being a psycho stalker and hurries inside, and Edwin leaves.
Chapter XIV
“When Shall These Three Meet Again?”
This chapter is about the literal calm before the storm. It is the day of the reconciliation dinner between Edwin and Neville, and it follows the events of the day for each of the participants.
Neville tidies his room as though for a long absence. He packs clothing and gear in a knapsack, and we learn that he plans to leave on a walking tour in the early hours of the morning. Both Mr. Crisparkle and Helena approve of this plan, knowing that Neville will benefit from time away from the tense situation in town. Neville feels nothing but dread for the dinner and observes “what a strange dead weight there is in the air” (118) to his sister. He procrastinates going to Jasper’s door, but eventually mounts the stairs.
Edwin passes a solitary day, mourning the loss of what could have been. He realizes that Rosa is much more of a treasure than he ever gave her credit for and that he undervalued her dreadfully. He knows that he is unworthy of her and reflects on what their relationship could have blossomed into had he “been more in earnest . . . set a higher value on her . . . studied the right way to [his engagement’s] appreciation and enhancement” (119). At the same time, he does feel a frisson of interest in Miss Landless that he cannot dispel. He stops to get his watch wound and set at the jeweller’s, and resisted attempts to sell him jewelry to celebrate his married state. He learns that Jasper had also resisted these same tactics for the same reason–Edwin wears very little jewelry.
Upon leaving the jewelry store, he sees a pathetic woman sitting unmoving in the cold and attempts to help her. During their conversation, the woman begans to shake and Edwin thinks that her behavior is exactly like his uncle’s (on the night when he had been smoking opium). She admits to smoking opium herself and wheedles three-and-sixpence from him. When she finds out his name, she connects it to the nickname Ned, which she warns him against, claiming that Ned is “a threatened name. A dangerous name” (121). Then we find out that Jack is the only one who calls Edwin Ned. Hmmm! A little unsettled by the encounter and unable to shake her words, he climbs the stairs to his uncle’s house.
Mr. Jasper, unlike his guests, passes an agreeable and cheerful day. He visits Mr. Sapsea and mentions that “dear Ned, and that inflammable young spark of Mr. Crisparkle’s, are to dine at the gatehouse to-day, and make up their difference” (122). Mr. Sapsea dislikes Neville for being “un-English” and Jack is sorry to hear this because Mr. Sapsea, he has noticed, is almost always right. Mr. Jasper attends church and sings with surpassing beauty that day, drawing the admiration of all who hear him. Mr. Jasper mentions to Mr. Crisparkle that he intends to burn his diaries, thus symbolically ridding himself of his black humours and turning over a new leaf. After parting from Mr. Crisparkle, he removes the great black scarf from his neck and loops it over his arm. I’m sure there is some significance to this action, but I’m not sure what it is yet. Then he, too, mounts the stairs to his apartments.
That night a terrible storm lashes the town, breaking branches on trees, tearing off the hands of the Cathedral clock, and stripping the lead from the roof. As the townspeople mill about, observing the damage, Mr. Jasper asks urgently at an open window to Mr. Crisparkle within, enquiring for Edwin. He claims that Edwin and Neville went to the river the night before to watch the storm and never returned. Mr. Crisparkle, astonished, informs him that Neville left in the early hours and Jack, white-faced and panting, demands entrance.
What do you think has happened? Where is Edwin? Did we notice any suspicious activity in these chapters? If you have read ahead, please do not share your advanced knowledge--if there is one book that no one wants spoiled, it is a mystery! Please share your impressions, favorite quotes, or questions!