Parade's End

Lord Port Scatho enters. He learns that Christopher is going to the Front. Christopher recalls a few past events while Scatho speaks to Sylvia. Christopher then addresses the letter on the table, which Scatho brought with him. It is a letter written by Sylvia addressing certain rumors surrounding Christopher. He explains the honorable and equitable circumstances surrounding Macmaster and Edith Ethel: She is not his mistress and never was, and her husband was in an asylum and now dead. Christopher then disproves the financial rumors surrounding him—that he is broke and living off of women—and proves that Scatho’s nephew, who despises Christopher because he wants Sylvia, is out to ruin him. Christopher has done nothing wrong and is completely in the right. He tells Scatho he should fix the matter privately or Christopher will have to make it public. Scatho is shocked to learn what all has befallen Christopher and admires his strength of character. Christopher’s eldest brother Mark enters and further substantiates Christopher’s claims.

Mark and Christopher take a walk. They discuss in detail the rumors surrounding Christopher’s moral depravity, which Sylvia started. Because of the rumors, their father, before he died, asked Mark to look after Christopher. It is possible that their father died by suicide; his gun went off while he was crawling under a bush, hunting rabbits. Christopher cannot forgive his late father for believing the rumors. The two men discuss the complexity of sexual relations within the aristocratic class.

Their father left enough money for Christopher to live comfortably, but Christopher doesn’t want any of the fortune. He flatly refuses to accept a cent from his father, or from Mark—in part because Mark too believed the rumors about Christopher for a time. The brothers hardly know each other, but through their conversation, they come to admire one another. They walk to the War Office where they meet Valentine, who is angry and frustrated about the war and takes it out on Christopher. Valentine wants to know if Edith Ethel is Christopher’s mistress. Christopher replies, “How could you ask such a tomfool question? You! I took you to be an intelligent person” (222). She is very happy to learn that Edith Ethel is not his mistress. Christopher leaves Valentine with Mark and goes to speak to a superior officer. He is confrontational and demands to know why there are rumors circling that he is a French spy. He was a Liaison Officer before the rumors, but now his record shows that he is not be trusted with confidential information. The Senior Officer would like to transfer Christopher to a unit at home, but Christopher says he wants to go to the Front.

Mark and Valentine sit outside on a bench, talking and waiting for Christopher. Mark informs Valentine of the money his father left behind for her mother. This news overjoys Valentine, as she and her mother have been living in poverty for some time now. Valentine drops into thought. She recalls the last conversation she and Christopher had before he left for war. She recalls the night Edith came to her, asking her how to go about getting an abortion. She remembers how she was once Edith’s confidant. However, the relationship turned sour, mostly because Valentine liked Christopher and Edith hated him. Macmaster owes Christopher a lot of money that would break him and her financially, and the thought consumes Edith. Valentine remembers when she first saw Sylvia at one of the Macmasters’ literary gatherings. Christopher showed her some theoretical numbers that would allow the English government to prove to the French that they had sent over more troops than they truly had. As an ethical individual, Christopher would never use those numbers. Macmaster, however, did and received a knighthood for it. From then on, Christopher and Valentine were no longer welcome at the Macmasters’ home. Macmaster attempted to show his gratitude and fealty to Christopher and Valentine, but they both knew the conniving Edith would never allow it.

Mark and Valentine are still on the bench waiting for Christopher. Valentine thinks back on her past week. She contemplates the nature of love and sexual desire, her growing love for Christopher, and the idea that “the physical side of love she had neither image nor conception” (266). She remembers a time when her mother needed Christopher’s advice on an article she was writing. Valentine called Christopher, and Sylvia had answered. Sylvia guessed who she was and told her to stay away from Christopher because he already had a mistress—a lie. Later, Christopher called back with a good idea for the article: “If a Tommy was a decent fellow he abstained because he didn’t want to leave his girl in trouble…If he wasn’t he chanced it because it might be his last chance…” (272). Valentine wondered if there had been a secret message in it for her. She arranged the pillows on the sofa, just in case. Mark breaks the reverie and talks about specific amounts to be left to them. He tells her how he will pull some strings to ensure Christopher is transferred to a safer unit in transportation. Mark says that people see her and Christopher and believe they fit well together. He compares them to Dante and Beatrice, the lovers from Dante’s Inferno. Christopher comes out of the office, and the three walk together. Mark and Christopher say goodbye, and after Mark is gone, Christopher asks Valentine to be his mistress. She agrees. They part, without consummating their relationship, and Valentine feels appalled at how businesslike they had spoken with one another. She cries. An old tramp sees her crying and says, "That’s women…Some do…Ah!…Some do not!” (280).

Around 3:30 a.m., Christopher comes home. He was out with Valentine. He recalls what he told Macmaster in Chapter 1 about monogamy and chastity. He quotes poetry and contemplates the hypocrisy and contradictions of his words and actions. Earlier, he and Valentine met with Edward, Valentine’s brother. Edward was drunk and vulgar, telling Christopher, “Why don’t you kiss the girl?” (282). Christopher and Valentine placed Edward on the sofa where he fell asleep instantly, and then they walked a bit outside. They made excuses for why they could not sleep together. Valentine gave Christopher a talisman on parchment. The day was not a good day, and they spoke about “washing out the afternoon” (284). Christopher told Valentine to cut it from her memory. She said she did not want to. Christopher remembered running into Mr. Ruggles earlier, the man hired by Mark to gather information on him. Christopher informed him of his intentions to quit the Club. Ruggles said they did not want him to leave, but Christopher had no desire for “all old women and their chatter” (286). Ruggles informed Christopher about Macmaster’s knighthood. He hadn’t known anything about it and went to see Macmaster. Edith Ethel attempted to hide the reasons behind the knighthood, but Christopher recognized how Macmaster did it. He should have said something to Macmaster but did not and later felt ashamed.

Christopher told Valentine to forget everything that had happened earlier that day. She said she would never cut out what he said to her and left—obliquely referring to the businesslike manner in which he asked her to be his mistress. Later, Christopher wondered what it was she would never cut out.