The French Lieutenant’s Woman: Chapter 42 Summary & Analysis

Charles felt physically and mentally sick on the way home, but he woke up feeling better. He apologizes to Sam for being short with him the night before, and asks for some tea. Charles thinks about his life and concludes that things could change in the two years Mr. Freeman gave him to consider his future—his uncle could die. He remembers that he’ll soon be allowed sexual pleasure sanctioned by marriage, and children will make everything better.

Sam returns with two letters, one from Exeter and one from Lyme. He opens a letter from Grogan. When Charles returned after meeting Sarah, he sent Grogan a letter in which he pretended to still be in complete agreement about the best course of action to take. He asked Grogan to tell him what happened when he met Sarah, and admitted that he hadn’t yet come clean to Ernestina, but that he would do so. Grogan now replies that Sarah never turned up when he went to meet her. He learned the next morning that someone ordered her box sent to Exeter, and he thinks that she has left Lyme. However, he’s worried that she might follow Charles to London. He includes the address of someone who can help Charles if this happens. He again urges Charles to tell Ernestina everything. Charles is relieved that his secret is safe.

Charles then opens the other letter, which contains only an address. He throws it into the fire and takes a cup of tea from Sam. He says they’ll return to Lyme the next day. Once Sam has made arrangements, he can have the afternoon off. Sam announces that he’s going to propose to Mary, or he would if he didn’t have such a good job with Charles. Charles demands he speak clearly, and Sam says he wouldn’t be able to live with Charles anymore. Charles objects to Sam’s desertion, and says that once he’s married, Sam and Mary can both live with them.

Sam says he wants to start a shop. Charles asks whether he has the money, and Sam says he’s saved some. To Charles’s astonishment, he says he wants to have a draper’s and haberdasher’s shop, but he and Mary still need to save a lot more money. Charles drinks his tea and eventually asks how much. The shop Sam wants would be 250 pounds, and he only has thirty, which it’s taken him three years to save. This is a third of his wages. Charles makes the mistake of giving Sam his true opinion, largely because he feels superior to him. He tells Sam he’ll be miserable if he tries to climb the class hierarchy like this, and he doesn’t want to lose him. They should continue in their currently satisfying relationship.

Sam is terribly disappointed. Charles assures him that he’ll pay him more if he marries Mary, but Sam isn’t cheered. Charles realizes that Sam knows something of his wealth, and probably wants Charles to give him the money for the shop. He finally tells Sam that Sir Robert is going to be married. Sam pretends to be surprised. Charles says he doesn’t have much money to spare, as a result, but Sam must keep this a secret. Sam says he knows how to do that, and Charles looks at him sharply. Sam’s despair has largely come from believing that Charles doesn’t have a secret that he could use for blackmail, so Charles’s next words are a mistake. He says he might be able to offer the money once he’s married, and Sam realizes there is a secret. Charles says he’ll ask Mr. Freeman’s advice for Sam. When Sam leaves, Charles worries that Sam is becoming deceitful. He begins to think he can afford the gift, after all.

Downstairs, Sam reads Charles’s telegraph to Ernestina, announcing his return to Lyme. Earlier that morning, Sam used steam to open the letter that contained the address. It’s becoming clear that he isn’t entirely honest, but impending marriage makes people more concerned with their ability to provide for their partner. It makes it easier to be dishonest. Sam needs Charles to marry Ernestina so that he’ll have enough money to give Sam. If Charles gets too involved with Sarah, it might ruin Sam’s prospects.