Reading the Chunksters discussion

This section covers chapters 43 to 46 - the last two chapters of part II and the first two of part III. We return to Shropshire, where Arabella starts taking long walks dressed in a gown, disappears, returns and dies. The first chapter of Strange's book is quoted, and Lady Pole appears at Norrell's house with a gun and shoots Childermass. Norrell hears about Arabella's death.

Chapter summaries (beware spoilers):
(view spoiler)[
43. The curious adventure of Mr Hyde

Strange is interrupted in his study by a visit from Mr Hyde, a neighbour. He tells Strange that he had business over the border in Wales, and returned over the hill in deep snow, which slows his horse. He sees a lady walking fast towards him along the Dyke, wearing only a black gown, and hears bells. Strange thinks it may have been his wife, who has often been out walking recently, but that she does not have a black gown. Her brother Henry is due to arrive shortly for a Christmas visit lasting a month. When he arrives, he tells the Stranges of his new parish in Northamptonshire, and a Miss Sophronia Watkins who he hopes to marry, who has £10000. After a few days Arabella gets bored of Henry’s company. Henry takes exception to an old oak tree outside the house which he claims blocks the light, but what really bothers him is its air of magic. Strange knows that by tradition priests and magicians do not get on well. On Christmas morning Arabella wakes with a headache and can’t leave her bed. Strange and Henry play cards, but Strange abandons the game to work. Strange wakes vaguely aware of a silvery presence in his room, and also thinks he sees Arabella, but goes back to sleep. At 8 the next morning Arabella’s maid knocks on her door and gets no reply. Later, Jonathan and Henry breakfast together, and Henry proposes they go shooting. Hyde appears, looking anxious. He reports seeing her walking outside again. Jeremy then reports that she is not in the house. Strange tries to use the silver dish to locate her, and finds she is not in England, Wales, Scotland or France. The water shows a hall full of people dancing. The men go out to search and the female servants search the house. There are other reports that she has been seen on the hills and walking fast, and of hearing bells. At dusk the search parties return without success. Strange remembers his vision of the previous night and tells them about it. Arabella eventually walks in wearing a black gown

44. Arabella

When asked where she has been, Arabella says she has been walking in the dark woods among her sleeping brothers and sisters. Jonathan walks towards her but stops when he sees water where she was standing. The servants lead her away. Strange says that the water is black and contains tiny scraps of something that looks like moss. Arabella complains of more pains, and on the third day she dies.

VOLUME III
45. Prologue to The History and Practice of English Magic

The opening of Strange’s book is quoted in full. It relates that in late 1110 a strange army appeared at Penlaw near Newcastle. By December they have taken Newcastle and Durham and are heading West to Allendale, where the locals try to befriend them. The camp is covered in snow, and the soldiers wear black, which are signs that they are the Daoine Sidhe (the Fairy Host). Battles are fought and lost all over Northern England. The army travels South and meet King Henry’s army at Newark. The King loses the battle. A 15-year old human boy steps forward from the ranks and addresses them in an unknown language. There is also a Norman in the fairy army, a Thomas of Dundale who knows enough French to translate his words. King Henry asks the boy his name and he says he has none. He claims that his family was granted the North by William the Conqueror, but was robbed of their inheritance, and he was left for dead in the forest, where the fairies found him and took him to live with them. His sense of justice leads him to allow Henry to retain the part of his Kingdom South of the Trent. By the age of 14 his magic is fully formed.

46. ”The sky spoke to me …”

Childermass is in Norrell’s study writing business letters. He bills the Treasury for taming Suffolk’s rivers and tells them they will tackle Norfolk next. He starts to feel uneasy and to see visions. The sky speaks to him. He blinks and sees the servant Lucas. Childermass insists that Norrell is upstairs despite being told by Lucas that he is at the Admiralty. When he sees Norrell he asks if Strange has visited. Childermass tries a spell he knows to detect whether magic is present, and finds it is present in the square outside, where it is snowing. He goes out and hears a bell ringing. He faints again, and Norrell arrives. Childermass thinks he knows the well-dressed lady who approaches in a carriage. The lady takes a pistol out and aims it at Norrell. Childermass tries to overpower her but finds that she is too strong. Norrell tries to talk to her but she does not respond. Childermass sees something strange – Hanover Square, Norrell and the servants disappear but the lady remains. He wakes in Hanover Square to discover that he has been shot, and a surgeon is summoned. He sees magical visions. On the second day he feels better, and Norrell addresses him, asking him why he used the spell, and he tells Norrell that it was Norrell that taught him it for his own protection when they were at Hurtfew. Childermass asks who the lady was and is told Lady Pole. She carried a duelling pistol that was kept in a locked cupboard whose only key was held by Stephen. Childermass does not tell Norrell that he believes that the magic they saw was stronger than Norrell’s, but Norrell guesses and says that he fears Strange. Norrell tells Childermass that Jonathan’s wife is dead, and that Lady Pole holds him responsible for her death. Norrell leaves the room, and Childermass recalls Vinculus telling him that all magicians are liars.

(hide spoiler)]

Arabella’s death was a bit of a shock to say the least! I had realised that the gentleman with thistledown hair had turned his attention away from Lady Pole to Arabella, and that she was the one he liked best, but even after the wanderings I wasn’t expecting her to die. Again magic proves to be far more sinister than the light hearted tricks that Strange has been using to baffle the French.

Finished volume 2. The story is getting interesting I hope to finish it soon.

For the first time I read a war description thoroughly, usually I skim through them. I too as a child, used to think Waterloo and Timbuktu are places devised by children.

We have 5 major magicians, I wonder what Vinculus is upto.

Mrs. Stranger's death was... strange? The chapter ended really abruptly and it seemed that her husband had little reaction to her in general and there was no reference to anyone's reaction after she died. Between her and lady pole it seems that the female characters on the book are quite strange indeed. At the end of the section there is reference to a much more powerful magic - I wonder if that will be brought to bear in the rest of the book and if so, who will be responsible for it?