“I cannot tell how long he sat blankly staring at one paragraph amongst the list of deaths, before his dazed brain took in its full meaning; but after considerable pause he pushed the newspaper over to Robert Audley, and with a face that had changed from its dark bronze to a sickly, chalky, grayish white, and with an awful calmness in his manner, he pointed with his finger to a line which ran thus:- “On the 24th inst., at Ventnor, Isle of wight, Helen Talboys, aged twenty-two” (39)”.
This is a very loaded passage, in the sense that it contains a lot of information, particularly regarding character development. But, before I begin, I just want to emphasize that the lady – the governess, more particularly – on the Argus, was either:
A.) A witch
B.) A gypsy
C.) Both A and B
All joking aside, this passage truly exemplifies how important Helen was to the unfortunate George Talboys. Just as the governess stated on the Argus, George missed his reunion with his wife by only a few days. According to his mood at this particular point in the story, it is manifest that Helen was very important to him. After all, “he sat blankly staring at one paragraph amongst the list of deaths, before his brain took in its full meaning.” He was so shocked by his wife’s death that he sat expressionless and unresponsive, until his brain was finally able to formulate what had occurred. Furthermore, after staring blankly at the list of passings, he took a “considerable pause.” Not just a pause – a considerable pause. The diction here is important because it further illustrates the point that Helen was a prominent figure in George’s life. I mean, wasn’t that the reason for his trek to Australia (at least that’s what we think as of now)?
In addition, readers are given an even better understanding of Robert Audley’s character. He isn’t just a man accompanying George because he pities him. It is evident that Bob cares about him, as seen in his face changing from its natural “dark bronze to a sickly, chalky, grayish, white…” Yikes. These adverbs provide a very unsettling image. It’s the feeling you acquire after a bad episode of Game of Thrones – a feeling of despondency. Nevertheless, despite his change in countenance, his deportment stays the same: calm. However, Braddon specifically writes an “awful calmness” because, at this point, the calmness is very unpleasant. Clearly, this is a binary to the deadpan appearance that George exhibits. On a side note, what’s going to happen now? George is back home and he can’t even be with his wife!
This is an important passage for various reasons. First and foremost, we learn of Helen’s death. Secondly, we learn that George truly is affected, as seen in his physical and mental change of state. Thirdly, it becomes clear that Bob Audley really is a compassionate guy, sorrowful for his friend’s loss. However, questions also begin to arise, such as: are we going to learn more about Helen’s role in the novel? How did she die, exactly, and why did it occur so close to George’s return? How is Bob so calm throughout this entire happening? Was George’s encounter with the governess a foreshadowing for this event?
At this point, we as readers are left in the dark. But it surely is the beginning to a riveting mystery.