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Welcome back to Week 3! Are we feeling the melodrama? This is a Victorian tale of the macabre, so there are plenty of cryptic utterances, mysterious happenings, and suspicious activity to go around! There is also a lot of overflowing emotions, as becomes a melodrama, but we can't forget Collins's theater background; it is only to be expected that the theatricality would be evident in his writing.

This week's chapters see Lady Montbarry brought face-to-face with Agnes, her self-described nemesis. Mrs. Ferrarri decides to confront Lady Montbarry, whom she is convinced had a hand in the murder of Mrs. Ferrarri's husband. She believes that Lady Montbarry will be unable to conceal her guilt when taxed with it, so despite Mr. Troy's cautions, she visits the lady in her hotel.

Lady Montbarry is much changed and has evidently been under a deal of stress; she is much thinner and her beauty is gone. She reveals no guilt in the matter of Mr. Ferrarri, but her reaction to the name of Agnes Lockwood terrifies poor little Mrs. Ferrarri. Lady Montbarry forces Mrs. Ferrarri to immediately accompany her to Agnes's house, where she demands to know if Agnes's name was the driving force behind Mr. Ferrarri's employment as her husband's courier. When Agnes admits the truth of this, she is much struck. Again we see evidence of Lady Montbarry's belief in a preordained future. In her mind, Agnes, although seemingly unknowingly, is destined to destroy her, and there is little use in struggling against it. Everyone else is amazed at this bizarre obsession, but Lady Montbarry seems numb and resigned to her fate.

In addition to the role of Lady Montbarry's evil genius, Agnes is also the romantic interest of Mr. Wickfield. He asks for her hand most earnestly, but she reveals her plan of becoming the governess to his brother's children. His astonishment and disapproval are profound. Why would she consider lowering herself to become a servant--to her own relatives, no less--when there were other options available to her, such as marriage to himself? I guess that is a pretty crushing setdown when a young lady is willing to commit social suicide rather than marry you! At the end of the chapter, Agnes departs for Ireland on a trial basis. If she is happy with her life there, it will become permanent. We are told, though, that she is not going to remain in Ireland, but fate will take her, eventually, to Venice.

So what are your thoughts this week? Are you becoming more accustomed to the style of the writing? Are you curious to see what mysteries will be solved when Lady Montbarry and Agnes meet again? Do you think Agnes made the right decision when she refuses Mr. Wickfield? Collins writes strong women who know what they want. Agnes seems to want more of life than just being a "trophy wife" and living the empty lives of endless social calls and engagements. On the other hand, she could be raising her own children instead of someone else's. What do you think? Please share any thoughts or questions you may have!

This is a very melodramatic story!
I think that Alice is still in love with the memory of the lord, even though he deserted her.
Going to Ireland is a good decision since she will be out of the reach of Lady Montbarry(the Countess).

Oh yes, the melodrama is laid on heavily here. We even have Agnes with her bosom heaving! The behaviour of Lady Montbarry was so over the top, fiercely attacking poor Mrs Ferrari, with word like ‘rage� and ‘frenzy� being thrown about. ‘You noxious stinging little insect� was an impressive insult too.

Then it all changes when Lady Montbarry meets Agnes, she is now the frightened one - “like a conscious culprit before a merciless judge�. There are lots of allusions to this idea of Lady Montbarry being guilty of something in her past, and hints that the mystery will be revealed to Agnes.

Henry Westwick provides the down to earth approach to counter all the melodrama, he is not superstitious, he’s the steady unimaginative Englishman type. He feels Lady Montbarry is wicked, not mad. I agree with Rosemarie that Agnes is still attached to Lord Montbarry, but I like her attitude in going to Ireland rather than moping around looking pale and sad.

I was rather intrigued about the investment in the hotel, especially the nurse investing her legacy. It’s a clever way to keep the hotel at the centre of the novel, and we also have the promise at the end of the section that Agnes will end up in Venice.

I did find this section picked up for me, and I could feel the excitement growing.

My impressions of Lady Montbarry were that she was being very calculating when Mrs. Ferrari visited her. I was astounded that Mrs. Ferrari gave her Agnes address though.

I found Lady Montbarry's words to Agnes intriguing.... "I have received my sentence." I'm still not sure about that. Their interaction was interesting and strange. I do see though, where I think Lady M is being a bit paranoid shall we say, and wonders if there was some plot.

I don't know that I care for Henry . I feel like he just wants Agnes to marry him and everything he says or does is just to that effect. It doesn't feel like he really loves her and cares for what she wants. He feels if she goes away, she might lost interest, if she even had any. And where does this thought in his head even come..."Her refusal to grant him his privilege as a cousin was a good sign—it was indirectly an act of encouragement to him in the character of her lover. " I'm sorry but that made me laugh, it was so ridiculous. Uttered by a man ruled by ego, that because he wants Agnes he will get Agnes, as why wouldn't it be so? I wonder if he wants Agnes partly because she loved his brother and he did not like his brother. As a sort of "winning something over" against the brother?

Pamela wrote: "Henry Westwick provides the down to earth approach to counter all the melodrama, he is not superstitious, he’s the steady unimaginative Englishman type. He feels Lady Montbarry is wicked, not mad. I agree with Rosemarie that Agnes is still attached to Lord Montbarry, but I like her attitude in going to Ireland rather than moping around looking pale and sad...."

Oh, my goodness, I got his name wrong in my original post! Sorry about that! I agree that Henry does seem very conventional and straitlaced. I do understand his concern at Agnes's decision, though. Of course, it is from a selfish perspective on his part--her decision to leave makes it harder for him to court her, and he can't help but disapprove of his (hopefully) future bride taking a step down socially.

From a more general outlook, though, Agnes is taking a step that she may later regret. Even if she decides after a few years that she no longer wants to be a governess, she may find it difficult to return to her former position in society. She will have definitely crossed a line. It will also make her less desirable to some men as a wife. Of course, we've all read the books where the governess snags the handsome hero, but it is always in the teeth of opposition from his family.

We know that her plans are going to be derailed, but she doesn't. I just think that if I were in her position, I wouldn't be able to keep from wondering if I were doing the right thing. I wouldn't be able to keep from wondering if Henry wasn't my last chance to have a family of my own someday, rather than raise someone else's. Women had so few options at that time!