Chapter Chapters 41-53 of Barchester Towers - Study Guide by Anthony Trollope

Chapters 41-53

Chapter 41: Mrs. Bold confides her sorrow to her friend Miss Stanhope.

Eleanor bumps into Charlotte, who on hearing of the Slope affair, sees Bertie's chance to propose and offers Eleanor her family's protection, which she finds odd considering her father is there to protect her. Eleanor and Charlotte look for Bertie and Signora Neroni and find the latter with Arabin. While Signora Neroni and Charlotte discuss events Eleanor and Arabin chat awkwardly, neither one feeling able to disclose their mutual feelings of love.

Chapter 42: Ullathorne sports - Act III

Harding tells Eleanor that he will let the archdeacon know the truth of the rumours surrounding her and Slope, but she asks him to wait. Bertie makes a half-hearted effort at proposing to Eleanor and discloses that he is doing so in order to fulfil Charlotte's wishes. Eleanor, realising Charlotte's falsehood, says she will have nothing more to do with the family. She travels home in Dr. Stanhope's carriage while Bertie walks.

Chapter 43: Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful are made happy. Mr. Slope is encouraged by the press.

Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful call at the palace to receive written confirmation of the former's appointment as warden. Gwynne sees Proudie and his wife and is disappointed to hear of the recent appointment. Slope receives a letter from Tom Towers supporting his candidacy for dean. His pride is still hurting from Eleanor's stub and he wishes he could hate Signora Neroni in the same way as he does her, but finds that he cannot conquer his infatuation.

Chapter 44: Mrs. Bold at home.

On returning from Ullathorne Eleanor tells Mary of what happened to her and reluctantly admits that she had been right all along in her distrust of Slope and the Stanhopes. The next evening she also tells Harding but asks him not to tell the archdeacon. Harding, despite Eleanor's urging, decides not to move in with her, but to stay in his present lodgings. Signora Neroni sends a letter to Eleanor telling her that Bertie is to leave for Italy and asking her to come and see her.

Chapter 45: The Stanhopes at home.

Stanhope lectures Bertie on his degenerate nature and agrees on the plan of sending him back to Carrara the next day with a small allowance. Eleanor visits the day after Bertie's departure and Signora Neroni tells her of Arabin's love. She is annoyed that he should have discovered himself to the Signora and not her, but is nevertheless overjoyed at the news.

Chapter 46: Mr. Slope's parting interview with the Signora.

Arabin, Slope and Thorne attend a small gathering held by Signora Neroni, who taunts an outwitted Slope by enquiring: "when is the widow to be made Mrs. Dean?" Arabin suffers to hear Eleanor thus referred to, but Slope is certainly no longer infatuated with Signora Neroni.

Chapter 47: The dean elect.

After much worry and speculation on the part of the archdeacon about who will be dean, Arabin's behaviour vis-à-vis Signora Neroni, Slope' amorous intentions and so on. Harding arrives and announces that he has been offered the deanship but intends to turn it down.

Chapter 48: Miss Thorne shows her talent at matchmaking.

On the next day while driving Harding home the archdeacon tries to persuade him to accept the position of dean. A note from Eleanor asking him to seek her out as a matter of urgency awaits him. Before this, Miss Thorne decided that Eleanor would make a good wife for Arabin and therefore invited them both to come and stay at Ullathorne. To her amazement, it works and after some awkward conversations Arabin proposes and Eleanor accepts. He leaves the next day for Plumstead and she for Barchester. Susan is overjoyed at the news but the archdeacon is away.

Chapter 49: The Belzebub colt.

Eleanor finds herself unable to hold back from telling Miss Thorne of her engagement. The next morning she finds Thorne and Arabin discussing an excitable colt at breakfast. When Thorne leaves to see the colt, Arabin and Eleanor are left alone and confirm their love for each other. Harding, having received his daughter's note rushes happily to see her. She tries to persuade him to accept the deanship but he stands firm, especially as the idea has just occurred to him that Arabin could be made dean.

Chapter 50: The archdeacon is satisfied with the state of affairs.