Mrs. Cronan’s Party by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne), facing page 558. (May 1856). Steel-engraving. 10.2 cm high by 18.3 cm wide (4 by 7 ¼ inches), vignetted, full-page illustration for The Martins of Cro' Martin, Chapter LIX, "'A Tea-Party' at Mrs. Cronan's." [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Passage Illustrated: Kate Henderson Startles the Tea-Drinkers with her News
“I believe the worst that could be said of her,” said Mrs. Clinch.
“Well, well, make her as bad as you like; but how does that prove anything against young Martin? and if you can find nothing heavier to say of him than that he wanted to marry a very handsome girl —”
“A low creature!” broke in Miss Busk.
“The lowest of the low!” chimed in Mrs. Cronan.
“An impudent, upsetting minx!” added Mrs. Clinch. “Nothing would serve her but a post-chaise the morning she arrived by the mail for Dublin; and, signs on it, when she got home she hadn't money to pay for it.”
“It wasn't that she left her place empty-handed, then,” said Miss Busk. “Jemima tells me that she managed the whole house, — paid for everything; and we all know what comes of that.”
Miss Busk, in delivering this sentiment, was seated with her back to the door, towards which suddenly every eye was now turned in mingled astonishment and confusion; she moved round to see the cause, and there beheld the very object of her commentary standing close behind her chair. Closely wrapped in a large cloak, the hood of which she wore over her head, her tall figure looked taller and more imposing in its motionless attitude.
“I have to ask pardon for this intrusion, ladies,” said she, calmly; “but you will forgive me when I tell the reason of it. I have just received very sad tidings, which ought to be conveyed to Miss Martin; she is at the islands, and I have no means of following her, unless Mr. Clinch will kindly lend me the revenue boat —”
“And accompany you, I hope,” broke in Mrs. Clinch, with a sneer.
Kate did not notice the taunting remark, but went on, “You will be grieved to hear that Mr. Martin is no more.” [Chapter LIX, "'A Tea-Party' at Mrs. Cronan's," 558]
Commentary: Resolving the "Curtain Questions" in the Last Two Serial Instalments
With only the May and June instalments for 1856 remaining, Lever has left his serial readers with several curtain questions to resolve — and two Chapman and Hall instalments to snap up. Will Merle's claims to the estate, amounting to total control for a mere twenty-two thousand pounds in mortgages based on Harry's gambling debts, be upheld in court if Dorothea Martin launches a legal challenge? What is the message that Godfrey Martin on his deathbed so urgently wished to deliver to his profligate son? Does that message have anything to do with the signed and witnessed contract for which Lady Dorothea was searching in the writing desk? Is a copy of this document hidden in the wainscotting back at Cro' Martin as Godfrey in his ravings suggested? Who is the stranger who has been interacting generously with the tenants as he inspects the Cro' Martin estates? What has become of Joan Landy? Will Mary locate her on the outer isles, and bring her home? And what revelations await us regarding the identities of Kate Henderson and Mary Martin? So much to ponder as we read the remaining chapters. But here the illustrations play a part in setting up readers' expectations, particularly the last plate, the horizontally formatted "My daughter!, in which the father-figure is definitely neither Harry nor Godfrey Martin, nor the dour estate-manager just encountered in Kate Henderson at Home (April 1856).
Lever's handling of these "curtain questions" suggests that the novelist intends to defer resolution of plot secrets for as long as possible in order to sustain suspense. As Wilkie Collins reputedly advised Dickens regarding the construction of serial instalments: "Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em wait!" And the illustrations must support this dictum, underscoring key scenes without telegraphing any answers. The first such illustration is Kate Henderson's announcing to Oughterard society that Godfrey Martin has just died in Germany since his departure will fuel popular speculation about the fate of the Cro' Martin estate, which will in turn have a considerable social, political, and economic impact on the borough. Lever has identified Mrs. Cronan's guests specifically at the opening of the chapter:
The first act of the whist and backgammon playing was over, and the party now sat, stood, crouched, lounged, or lay, as chance and the state of the furniture permitted, at supper. At the grand table, of course, were the higher dignitaries, such as Father Maher, the Captain, Miss Busk, and Mrs. Clinch; but cockles were eaten, and punch discussed in various very odd quarters; bursts of joyous laughter, too, came from dark pantries, and sounds of merriment mingled with the jangling crash of kitchen utensils. Reputations were roasted and pancakes fried, characters and chickens alike mangled, and all the hubbub of a festival prevailed in a scene where the efforts of the fair hostess were directed to produce an air of unblemished elegance and gentility. [554]
Ostensibly, Lever has introduced Kate into the gathering because she needs to inform Mary Martin of her uncle's death, and therefore needs the assistance of the local Revenue agent, Mr. Clinch, and his high-speed government cutter. In fact, Kate's timely arrival tops off a comic scene in which the company have been viciously denigrating her character. The general consensus is that Kate had manipulated Captain Harry into a marriage proposal, and that Lady Dorothea has had to dismiss her.
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Lever, Charles. The Martins of Cro' Martin. Illustrated by Phiz [Hablot Knight Browne]. London: Chapman & Hall, 1856, rpt. 1872.
Lever, Charles. The Martins of Cro' Martin. Illustrated by Phiz [Hablot Knight Browne]. Novels and Romances of Charles Lever. Introduction by Andrew Lang. Lorrequer Edition. Vols. XII and XIII. In two volumes. Boston: Little, Brown, 1907. Project Gutenberg. Last Updated: 28 February 2018.
Created 18 October 2022