Cranford

Lady Glenmire’s Visit Announced

The cherry brandy loosens Mrs Jamieson’s reserve, and she reveals news she had withheld: her sister-in-law, Lady Glenmire, is coming to stay. The announcement meets with an enthusiastic chorus from the guests, who immediately begin mentally reviewing their wardrobes in anticipation of the festivities that traditionally accompany a visitor of such standing.

Guests Plan Attire for Baron’s Widow

Each lady rapidly considers her attire in light of Lady Glenmire’s rank as a baron’s widow, recognizing that a series of small social gatherings will follow her arrival. The prospect stirs pleasant excitement among the Cranford women as they anticipate the coming festivities.

Guests Depart via Sedan Chair

The maids and lanterns signal the evening’s end. Mrs Jamieson’s sedan chair, which had blocked Miss Barker’s narrow lobby, is carefully maneuvered out by old chairmen—shoemakers by day, now dressed in Hogarthian great-coats. Their footsteps echo down the quiet street as the ladies don their calashes and pin up their gowns, with Miss Barker hovering nearby, her helpfulness hinting at her former profession.

第八章

Chapter VIII centers on the Cranford ladies’ complicated social interactions surrounding Lady Glenmire, Mrs Jamieson’s sister-in-law. It traces the arc from Miss Pole’s anxious etiquette inquiry about addressing a lady of rank, through Mrs Jamieson’s exclusion request and the resulting social boycott at church, to Mrs Jamieson’s eventual change of heart and a party invitation. The chapter culminates in the elaborate preparations and journey to the party, ending with the first meeting of the Cranford ladies and Lady Glenmire.