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Mr. Metcalfe
Lady Peabury is a widow who has lived in a grand house in Much Malcock for many years. She has had ample time to accumulate and enjoy many of life’s finer things, including novels, dogs, and lush gardens. Moralistic, judgmental, and proud, Lady Peabury is a leader among the village’s landed gentry. Her pettiness and pride get her in trouble, however, when she takes a verbal jab at Mr. Metcalfe and the two end up in a standoff over who will fund the purchase of Mr. Hargood-Hood’s field. Their fight makes up the central conflict of the story, and both of them begin to make plans to move out of Much Malcock before they make amends. Ultimately, they are able to reach a compromise by using the newly purchased land to build a Scouts’ lodge—and perhaps even more importantly, by naming the lodge “The Metcalfe-Peabury Hall.”
Lady Peabury Quotes in An Englishman’s Home
The An Englishman’s Home quotes below are all either spoken by Lady Peabury or refer to Lady Peabury. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1
Quotes
Lady Peabury lived at Much Malcock House, whose chimneys, soon to be hidden in the full foliage of summer, could still be seen among its budding limes on the opposite slope of the valley[…]. She was a widow and, like Mr. Metcalfe, had come to Much Malcock from abroad.
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Part 3
Quotes
He wants £500. It is excessive, but I am prepared to pay half of this if you will pay the other half. Should you not accede to this generous offer I shall take steps to safeguard my own interests at whatever cost to the neighbourhood…
P.S. —I mean I shall sell the Hall and develop the property as building lots.
Part 4
Quotes
The great shadows of the cedars lay across the lawn; they had scarcely altered during her long tenancy, but the box hedge had been of her planting; it was she who had planned the lily pond and glorified it with lead flamingoes […] the flowering shrubs were hers; she could not take them with her where she was going. Where? She was too old now to begin another garden, to make other friends. She would move, like so many of her contemporaries, from hotel to hotel […].
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Lady Peabury Quotes in An Englishman’s Home
The An Englishman’s Home quotes below are all either spoken by Lady Peabury or refer to Lady Peabury. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1
Quotes
Lady Peabury lived at Much Malcock House, whose chimneys, soon to be hidden in the full foliage of summer, could still be seen among its budding limes on the opposite slope of the valley[…]. She was a widow and, like Mr. Metcalfe, had come to Much Malcock from abroad.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3
Quotes
He wants £500. It is excessive, but I am prepared to pay half of this if you will pay the other half. Should you not accede to this generous offer I shall take steps to safeguard my own interests at whatever cost to the neighbourhood…
P.S. —I mean I shall sell the Hall and develop the property as building lots.
Part 4
Quotes
The great shadows of the cedars lay across the lawn; they had scarcely altered during her long tenancy, but the box hedge had been of her planting; it was she who had planned the lily pond and glorified it with lead flamingoes […] the flowering shrubs were hers; she could not take them with her where she was going. Where? She was too old now to begin another garden, to make other friends. She would move, like so many of her contemporaries, from hotel to hotel […].
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