Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth

Three weeks before Montraville’s visit, Major Beauchamp was sent to Rhode Island, and Mrs. Beauchamp went along, leaving Charlotte alone. She does not feel well the day of Montraville’s visit and lays down after eating. Belcour, who visited with the hopes of antagonizing Montraville, arrives after she had fallen asleep. When he saw Montraville approaching, he sneaks into Charlotte’s bed.

After Montraville leaves, Belcour comforts Charlotte, but she pushes him away and goes to her room when she realizes he is pursuing her. To prevent the truth from reaching Montraville, Belcour bribes a servant to bring all of Charlotte’s letters to him instead of to the post office. Belcour then visits Montraville. He argues that he couldn’t refuse Charlotte’s advances and again suggests that Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances are her own fault. Montraville rants that he is not worthy of Julia. As he is talking, she passes by the house and sees them inside.

Montraville and Belcour join Julia and her uncle on their walk. Belcour diverts Mr. Franklin’s attention, leaving Montraville alone with Julia. Montraville acknowledges his low mood and declares that he does not deserve Julia’s affection. They part at Mr. Franklin’s house, and Montraville returns to his room to reflect on his circumstances.

Mr. Temple, Lucy, and Eldridge sit together and discuss Charlotte and the pain of her elopement. As they are crying together, a servant delivers the letter Charlotte wrote and Mrs. Beauchamp sent. Lucy reads it and is so excited that she cannot relate the contents to her husband and father, so she hands the letter over for them to read. They all agree that Charlotte deserves forgiveness and their welcome. Lucy wants to go to the United States to get Charlotte, but Mr. Temple argues that she is too delicate and says he will go get Charlotte himself. Agreeing, Lucy writes Charlotte that they will happily welcome her home.

Believing Charlotte dishonest, Montraville proposes to and is accepted by Julia. Montraville gives Belcour money for Charlotte and tells him to give Charlotte whatever money she needs in the future, which Montraville will repay. He hopes Charlotte will return home but asks Belcour to be kind if she chooses to stay with him; however, Belcour plans to manipulate Charlotte and to make her believe Montraville abandoned her.

Montraville writes a goodbye letter acknowledging the suffering he has inflicted on Charlotte. He tells Charlotte that he never loved her: “[B]elieve your repentant Montraville when he tells you that the man who truly loves will never betray the object of his affection” (195). He recommends Charlotte return to her family, and he says that he has left money for her with Belcour. The next morning, Montraville gives the letter to Belcour to deliver to Charlotte.

Over the next three months, Charlotte receives one letter from Mrs. Beauchamp and a few visits from Belcour, who lies about trying to convince Montraville to visit her. She has written multiple letters to Montraville but suspects they have not reached him. The stress has taken a physical toll on her health, and her only hope is that her parents may yet forgive her.

Belcour wants to make Charlotte his mistress and bring her into New York society, where they are likely to see Montraville. He visits Charlotte one day, and when she complains of being unwell and lonely, he offers to take her to New York; however, she declines, arguing she will be hated by the virtuous women. She feels she will die in the cottage, and she cries for a moment before saying she has thought of going to New York to beg Montraville to help her. For a moment, Belcour pities her, then he tells Charlotte that Montraville has married Julia and left for Eustatia.

Charlotte screams and faints. Belcour stays overnight and finds Charlotte has a fever in the morning. He visits her for a few days, but her sickness repulses him; no longer sexually interested, he forgets her, takes Montraville’s money, and pursues another woman.

The author assumes the reader is overwhelmed by the depressing events of the book, and she asks them to be patient and to continue reading. She hypothesizes that the reader is likely questioning the moral of the story, and she alludes to Mademoiselle La Rue’s downfall.

Mademoiselle La Rue has become a “favorite” in society, although Colonel Crayton is unhappy with her. While he first tried to reason with her, he has given up and allows her to do as she pleases. Mademoiselle La Rue is seeing a young, poorly educated officer, Corydon: “He escorted her to the play, danced with her at every ball, and, when indisposition prevented her going out, it was he alone who was permitted to cheer the gloomy solitude to which she was obliged to confine herself” (213). She smiles when she hears Montraville has abandoned Charlotte for another woman.

Charlotte begins to recover her health, but she is almost out of money and has accrued debt from her medical expenses. Her hope of returning home is gone, as four months have passed since she wrote to her family. Charlotte is impatient for death, but her religious values prevent her from attempting suicide.

On a cold December day, a woman comes to the cottage to collect Charlotte’s rent. Charlotte explains that she has been completely abandoned and asks for charity, but the woman interrupts her, saying she has her own family to care for and insulting Charlotte, referring to her as “a nasty, impudent hussy” (219). She tells Charlotte to leave if she can’t pay, saying she’d rather let Charlotte sleep in the street than stay in the house one more night.