III.

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# III. ## Overview This is a section titled "III." extracted from the file [pierre.txt](arke:01KG89J1JSYKSGCE149MH9HF6A). It is part of [BOOK VII. INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN PIERRE'S TWO INTERVIEWS WITH ISABEL AT THE FARM-HOUSE.](arke:01KG8AJSNW0PHMW2C72XA4V724) within the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The section spans lines 5816 to 5864 of the source file. ## Context The section is part of a larger chapter in a novel contained within the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW). It is preceded by section [II.](arke:01KG8AKRMTB9DDS8BMT652YFTP) and followed by section [IV.](arke:01KG8AKRN2V3Z8JTW27R93R4XR). ## Contents This section contains a monologue by Mrs. Glendinning after Pierre leaves the breakfast-room. She becomes aware of a fork in her hand and impulsively throws it, piercing her own portrait which hangs next to Pierre's. She interprets this as a symbolic stabbing and expresses her fears and suspicions about Pierre, questioning his recent behavior and his relationship with Lucy. She suspects a "deed of shame" or something "most dubious and most dark" in his soul. She also contemplates her own pride and its potential role in her current woes, ultimately resolving to stand firm in her pride and await whatever may come.

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2026-01-30T20:50:15.094Z

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description_title

III.

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5864

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2026-01-30T20:48:07.470Z

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01KG89J1JSYKSGCE149MH9HF6A

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5816

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III. As the door of the breakfast-room closed upon Pierre, Mrs. Glendinning rose, her fork unconsciously retained in her hand. Presently, as she paced the room in deep, rapid thought, she became conscious of something strange in her grasp, and without looking at it, to mark what it was, impulsively flung it from her. A dashing noise was heard, and then a quivering. She turned; and hanging by the side of Pierre's portrait, she saw her own smiling picture pierced through, and the fork, whose silver tines had caught in the painted bosom, vibratingly rankled in the wound. She advanced swiftly to the picture, and stood intrepidly before it. "Yes, thou art stabbed! but the wrong hand stabbed thee; this should have been _thy_ silver blow," turning to Pierre's portrait face. "Pierre, Pierre, thou hast stabbed me with a poisoned point. I feel my blood chemically changing in me. I, the mother of the only surnamed Glendinning, I feel now as though I had borne the last of a swiftly to be extinguished race. For swiftly to be extinguished is that race, whose only heir but so much as impends upon a deed of shame. And some deed of shame, or something most dubious and most dark, is in thy soul, or else some belying specter, with a cloudy, shame-faced front, sat at yon seat but now! What can it be? Pierre, unbosom. Smile not so lightly upon my heavy grief. Answer; what is it, boy? Can it? can it? no--yes--surely--can it? it can not be! But he was not at Lucy's yesterday; nor was she here; and she would not see me when I called. What can this bode? But not a mere broken match--broken as lovers sometimes break, to mend the break with joyful tears, so soon again--not a mere broken match can break my proud heart so. If that indeed be part, it is not all. But no, no, no; it can not, can not be. He would not, could not, do so mad, so impious a thing. It was a most surprising face, though I confessed it not to him, nor even hinted that I saw it. But no, no, no, it can not be. Such young peerlessness in such humbleness, can not have an honest origin. Lilies are not stalked on weeds, though polluted, they sometimes may stand among them. She must be both poor and vile--some chance-blow of a splendid, worthless rake, doomed to inherit both parts of her infecting portion--vileness and beauty. No, I will not think it of him. But what then? Sometimes I have feared that my pride would work me some woe incurable, by closing both my lips, and varnishing all my front, where I perhaps ought to be wholly in the melted and invoking mood. But who can get at one's own heart, to mend it? Right one's self against another, that, one may sometimes do; but when that other is one's own self, these ribs forbid. Then I will live my nature out. I will stand on pride. I will not budge. Let come what will, I shall not half-way run to meet it, to beat it off. Shall a mother abase herself before her stripling boy? Let him tell me of himself, or let him slide adown!"

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III.