Villette, Chapter 39 summary

What happens

1. Lucy explains how Madame Walravens, Madame Beck, and Père Silas press Paul to manage a distant estate for their benefit.
2. A young Justine Marie arrives with Paul, whose presence reveals that he postpones his voyage by a fortnight.
3. Paul treats his ward affectionately, and Lucy accepts the uncertain prospect of their marriage as established truth.
4. Lucy leaves the park in jealousy, notices a possible signal from a passing carriage, and reaches school before Madame Beck.
5. She finds a nun-shaped figure on her bed and tears it apart, revealing a bolster covered with religious garments.
6. A mocking note names Lucy as the recipient of the costume; she hides it and sleeps after hearing Madame return.

In this chapter

What to notice

Lucy values certainty over anxious uncertainty. Yet her eagerness to accept a painful explanation makes her treat an unconfirmed marriage as fact.

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