Cranford

Schoolboys Guard the Rector During the Show

Mr Hayter is found seated among National School boys, who form a protective phalanx around him, shielding him from the surrounding Cranford spinsters. His kind face is broad with smiles, and the boys are in fits of laughter, as he has treated them to the performance. Surrounded by this youthful guard, he feels secure enough even to bestow a bow on the ladies’ party as they file out at the evening’s end.

Miss Pole Denies the Magician’s Authenticity Post-Show

Miss Pole pointedly ignores Mr Hayter’s bow and instead busies herself convincing the group on their way out that they have been entirely deceived and never saw Signor Brunoni at all. Her refusal to credit the performance stands in marked contrast to the rest of the party, who have been variously amazed, perplexed, troubled, or reassured, but never so resolutely dismissive.

第十章

Chapter X, titled “THE PANIC,” describes a wave of robbery fears that grips the town of Cranford following the visit of Signor Brunoni. The chapter traces how rumors, precautions, and panics spread among the residents, culminating in attempted break-ins, a mysterious death, and the departure of Mrs Jamieson. Through humor and irony, the chapter portrays the townspeople’s exaggerated fears and their mutual support during the unsettling period.

Cranford’s Robbery Panic and Nightly Precautions

A series of robberies and unsettling rumors spreads through Cranford after Signor Brunoni’s visit. At Miss Matty’s house, nightly inspection rounds become a ritual, with Miss Matty armed with a poker, the narrator with a hearth-brush, and Martha with shovel and fire-irons. By day, residents hear tales of carts with felt-shod horses and darkly-clothed men patrolling the town in search of vulnerable houses.