The French Lieutenant’s Woman: Chapter 50 Summary & Analysis

When Charles arrives in Lyme, he goes to his room and paces, preparing to talk to Ernestina. He’s terrified, but he can’t turn back now that he’s sent his letter to Sarah. Mary answers the door for him, and Ernestina appears behind her. Charles follows her into the sitting room, wishing he were dead while Ernestina is cheerful. She quickly realizes that something is wrong, and he can’t look at her at first. He asks her to sit down so he can say what he has to say. Confused, she sits. She has a letter from Mr. Freeman, and Charles says that he didn’t tell her father the truth, which is that he’s not worthy of her. She blanches, unable to believe he’s serious. She protests that his telegram to her was entirely normal, but he says he sent it before he made this decision.

Ernestina begins to accept Charles’s words. Charles fears that she’ll faint or become hysterical, but she seems only to shiver. She demands that he explain himself. Charles says he has always known Ernestina would make a wonderful wife, but his attraction to her has always been somewhat due to her money. He’s always doubted his own abilities, and he felt that he could regain his self-respect by marrying her. Ernestina can’t believe her ears. She’s angry that he can say he never loved her. He insists that he didn’t plot anything, he only deceived himself.

Ernestina asks why Charles has suddenly come to this conclusion, and he replies that he was disappointed that Mr. Freeman didn’t break off their engagement. He mentions that Mr. Freeman wanted him to join the business, which Ernestina takes to mean that Charles is ashamed of marrying into the middle class. Charles denies this, saying that he realized how bad he would be at business. He insists that he couldn’t bear to marry her if he couldn’t give her the love she deserves. He believes that she has already doubted his love, but refused to acknowledge her doubt.

Ernestina covers her ears, then says she realizes she has many faults, but she thought she would improve with his help. In fact, she had her pick of men, but she chose him because she thought he could help make her better. She says he thinks badly of himself, and she wanted to make him see his own value. Charles replies that her words mean a lot, but they can’t change anything. She pleads with him to reconsider, and he feels awful for hurting her. She asks him to just tell her how to act so that she can please him. She insists that her feelings are deeper than she usually lets on. But finally she realizes that something must have happened since Charles sent her the telegram.

Ernestina begins to weep but continues to look straight at Charles. She falls to her knees, and he feels disgusted by his way of twisting the truth. He decides to be more honest. Ernestina gets to her feet, and Charles says there’s a woman whom she doesn’t know, someone he’s known a long time. In London he realizes that his old feelings for her were still alive. Ernestina wants to know why he didn’t say this from the start. Though he says he wanted to spare her pain, she perceives that he wanted to spare himself shame. She weeps while Charles stares at a china sheep. Finally she says she’ll die of shame if she doesn’t kill herself first. Charles tells her never to say that again.

Ernestina asks what she’s supposed to tell other people. She rips her father’s letter in half. After a silence, she says coldly that there’s a course of action she can take, since Charles has broken his vow. Charles agrees she has this right. She wants everyone to know how awful he is. Charles points out that everyone will find out anyway, and having to act in this way has been punishment enough. He stands and sees himself in a mirror, and it feels like he’s always been false to her. He asks that she understand that he hates what he has done, but he can’t deceive her anymore.

Ernestina guesses that this unknown woman is an aristocrat. She says aristocrats like Charles are no good and think their rank gives them an excuse to do whatever they want. She tries to find out more about this woman, but Charles refuses to say anything. She says that her father will destroy his reputation. As he opens the door to leave, Ernestina gropes for words, then says his name as though she wants his comfort. She falls to the floor, but her faint doesn’t seem quite real. He says he’ll write to Mr. Freeman, and he rings for Mary. Charles meets her in the hall, saying he’s going to get Dr. Grogan and she must not leave Ernestina. Mary goes into the room and Charles briefly watches her comfort Ernestina, but Mary’s expression orders him out.