The King in Yellow, Part 4 summary
Part 4 of 10 · 30 min to read the part
In The Yellow Sign, Mr. Scott and Tessie Reardon share disturbing dreams about a hearse, grow romantically attached, and discover that her gift bears a sinister mark. After both read a forbidden book, the church watchman enters Scott’s rooms and takes the clasp; Tessie dies, Scott lies dying, and the doctor finds the watchman’s corpse impossibly decomposed.
What happens
- Scott’s painting develops sickly colors after he sees the watchman, whom Tessie recognizes as the driver in her recurring nightmare.
- Thomas describes losing his nerve after a finger detaches from the watchman’s hand, and Scott notices the missing finger.
- Scott recounts a matching nightmare, kisses Tessie after her confession of love, and accepts an onyx clasp she finds.
- They recognize the clasp’s Yellow Sign, but Scott refuses Tessie’s plea to discard it; a hearse arrives outside.
- The watchman enters, takes the clasp, and strikes Scott; Tessie dies, and the doctor identifies the attacker as a long-dead corpse.
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In this part
What to notice
The medical judgment makes the watchman’s recent movements inexplicable. It confirms that the final attacker is not simply an ordinary living man.
Quick check
Where does Tessie obtain the onyx clasp?
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