Victorians! discussion

The story is powering up now. I hope to read the section as early as I can. But like for the last segment, there will not be a summary coming up since I'm behind. Please feel free to discuss this section. I will certainly pop in as soon as I finish reading the section.

Well, in the last section, my final hope was that Edward Springrove would save Cytherea from Manston in the nick of time……. And he did,…….sort of. But with the shocked, shame-ridden Cytherea afterwards living almost a limbo life, I am wondering if she can ever achieve personal and emotional fulfilment with Edward in the future.

Hardy seems to have put the melodrama on overdrive in this section. From the frosty wedding, Edward’s ghostly apparition, the gibbering railway man and the resurrection of Manston’s first wife…. to the mercy dash of Edward Springrove and the almost Wilde-like drama at the hotel, there seemed to be a breathless storm of action buffeting the reader from one page to the next.

This sustained nervous energy reached a crescendo for me when Edward and Cytherea met across the stream after her wedding. I felt the pent up desire that existed between them in these few words…..

‘ I must touch you, I must press your hand,' he said. They came near—nearer—nearer still—their fingers met. There was a long firm clasp, so close and still that each hand could feel the other's pulse throbbing beside its own. ‘

Meanwhile Manston accepted his ‘first’ wife back with the demeanour of a deflated beachball. All his force and self-confident swagger punctured with the wound of defeat. Once his wife was back on the scene he didn’t even bother to contact Cytherea, citing that she would find out soon enough herself. Compare the attitudes of the two lovers. Edward’s actions were driven by Cytherea’s best interests, his desire to save her from ruin, whilst Manston’s motives throughout have seemed entirely selfish.

I did believe that Manston was unaware that his wife was still alive until Cytherea said this to Owen.

’ ‘'From what he said to me on the evening of the wedding-day, when I had fastened myself in the room at the hotel, after Edward's visit. He must have suspected that I knew something, for he was irritated, and in a passion of uneasy doubt. He said, "You don't suppose my first wife is come to light again, madam, surely?" Directly he had let the remark slip out, he seemed anxious to withdraw it.'

However, I am rather worried that Manston will turn out to be a formidable enemy if Owen and Cytherea choose to pursue him and the truth.

Yes, the melodrama is growing with the time. I also thought that Manston believed his wife was dead, but he´s even worse than I´d expected before.

There does seem to be a lot of contrived melodrama, as Trev points out, particularly the timing of the railwayman's confession-to leave it that long and then confess only makes sense in adding excitement to the novel-the chase to rescue Cytherea before the marriage is consummated.

I also feel Cytherea's collapse and refusal to marry Edward seems contrived to add more to the story-why would she refuse to marry a man she loves dearly and who loves her back and believes in her innocence against all gossip-particularly as they are free to leave the town of her misfortune and settle elsewhere away from any censoriousness or contact with Manston?

However the novel continues to engage and I enjoy seeing Hardy's powerful language even at this early stage in his career.

That’s true, Frances. Why doesn’t Cytherea accept Edward now?

Very astute observations, Frances. The only other reason I can imagine for Cytherea turning down Edward’s proposal is that she is so traumatized by what happened with Manston that she cannot complete another marriage (at least for now). As for Manston, I don’t trust him about his real wife. He may well have known of her existence all along.

These words from Cytherea show us her confused and dejected state of mind.

’ ‘I know all about it,’(the gossip) she said hastily; ‘and those are the grounds of my refusal. You and Owen know the whole truth–the two I love best on earth–and I am content. But the scandal will be continually repeated, and I can never give any one the opportunity of saying to you–that–your wife . . . .’ She utterly broke down and wept……..

…….. ‘Please to leave me–we will be friends, Edward–but don’t press me- -my mind is made up–I cannot–I will not marry you or any man under the present ambiguous circumstances–never will I–I have said it: never!’

Cytherea, thinking of Edward, doesn’t want the scandal of her sham marriage to become a stain on Edward’s character as it has on hers. Edward might suggest taking her away, but it would have to be a long way, probably abroad, and neither of them have the money to live any sort of meaningful life in a place alien to them both. Owen would not be in any position to help them either.

Regarding Frances’ remark about Hardy’s powerful language, I loved the poetic descriptions he gave us as Cytherea and Edward were sitting facing each other in the opposite alcoves of the inglenook fireplace in the cottage.

’ Edward looked at his pale love through the thin azure twines of smoke that went up like ringlets between them, and invested her, as seen through its medium, with the shadowy appearance of a phantom. Nothing is so potent for coaxing back the lost eyes of a woman as a discreet silence in the man who has so lost them–and thus the patient Edward coaxed hers. After lingering on the hearth for half a minute, waiting in vain for another word from him, they were lifted into his face.’……………

………..’ They were both silent. He listlessly regarded the illuminated blackness overhead, where long flakes of soot floated from the sides and bars of the chimney-throat like tattered banners in ancient aisles; whilst through the square opening in the midst one or two bright stars looked down upon them from the grey March sky. The sight seemed to cheer him.’

I agree that this segment was quite melodramatic and that the story is contrived to keep readers intrigued. Cytherea should have accepted Edward's proposal, but her refusal is understandable given her state of mind.
The story is getting more and more interesting. and I'm really enjoying Hardy's writing, despite the flaws in the storyline.

I'm really perplexed as to what kind of collusion is going on between Manston and his wife