The Age of Innocence: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

The next day, Archer persuades May to go for a walk with him instead of going to church with her parents. Mrs. Welland lets her go because she’s just convinced May of the necessity of a long engagement. The snow and blue sky make May particularly beautiful, and Archer is proud of her. She says she loves the fact that Archer remembers to send flowers each day rather than putting in a standing order. He admits that he sent Ellen roses, and May is glad, but she says that Ellen didn’t mention it when she had lunch with them that day. Archer wants to tell her he went to see Ellen, but he doesn’t in case Ellen didn’t mention it to May. Instead, he turns to their own plans for the future.

May insists that their engagement isn’t as long as some couples’, and Archer wishes she would speak for herself instead of repeating what others say. He realizes that it’s men’s fault that women don’t speak for themselves. Before long, he’ll have to guide May to see the world for what it is, but he worries that she’s been blinded for too long to ever face reality. He suggests they might travel together if they got married sooner. She says she would love to, but her mother wouldn’t understand their acting unconventionally.

May thinks Archer is original, but he realizes that they’re both acting just the way everyone else does in their situation. He wants them to break away from the pattern that’s been set, and she jokes that they could elope, taking his eagerness as proof that he loves her. She says they can’t behave like characters in novels do, but she can’t give a reason why. Finally she says it would be vulgar, and she is astonished when Archer questions how bad it would be to be vulgar. She changes the subject to Ellen’s admiration of her ring.

The next afternoon, Janey comes to Archer in his study. He’s in a bad mood, fearful that he’ll have the same routine every day for the rest of his life. He avoided going to his club on the way home from his job at a law office because he knew exactly how the discussion at the club would go. The men would talk about the Duke and about a high-class prostitute, Miss Fanny Ring, being seen in Beaufort’s carriage. Archer can imagine Lawrence Lefferts exclaiming over society’s ruin.

Archer irritably pretends not to see Janey when she enters. His table is piled with books. Janey says that their mother is angry. Sophy Jackson has brought word that her brother is coming after dinner to give details. Exasperated, Archer demands she clarify what she’s talking about, and Janey says that Ellen Olenska was at Mrs. Struthers’s party the night before with the Duke and Mr. Beaufort. Archer is angry, but hides it. He says he knew she meant to go. Janey can’t believe he didn’t try to stop her, but he insists it’s not his responsibility, dismissing the importance of family connections. He wants to say that nobody around them can deal with reality, but Janey is almost crying.

Janey says that the family has already been supporting Ellen—the van der Luydens even invited her to their dinner. Archer doesn’t see any harm in that, but Janey says that the van der Luydens are so upset that they’re going back to their estate on the Hudson. Archer finds his mother in the drawing room and announces that he thinks it’s ridiculous for the van der Luydens to be so offended by Ellen’s actions. Mrs. Archer thinks Mrs. Struthers’s gatherings are scandalous because there’s smoking, champagne, and French music. Archer implies that New York society isn’t as interesting as London or Paris, but Mrs. Archer says that Ellen needs to respect New York’s way of life.

Mrs. Archer wants Archer to come with her to explain to Mrs. van der Luyden that Ellen is simply used to a different culture. However, Archer thinks it’s all the Duke’s fault, since he brought Ellen to Mrs. Struthers’s. Mrs. Archer argues that the Duke is a stranger, whereas Ellen is really a New Yorker, and should know better. Archer doesn’t think they need to defend her to the van der Luydens.

Suddenly the butler announces Mr. van der Luyden. Mrs. Archer quickly arranges herself before he enters, and Archer greets him, saying that they were just talking about him and Ellen Olenska. Mr. van der Luyden says that he’s just been to see her, and she had arranged the flowers he’d sent her in an incredibly charming way. He would like to bring his wife to see her, if only the neighborhood were better. The Archers are shocked by his speech.

Mr. van der Luyden goes on to say that he visited to warn Ellen about letting the Duke take her to parties. Mrs. Archer pretends she hasn’t heard what happened. Mr. van der Luyden explains that they can’t expect Europeans to understand American rules, but the Duke took Ellen to Mrs. Struthers’s. Since Mrs. van der Luyden was troubled, her husband decided to give Ellen the social guidance she had asked him for earlier.

Mrs. Archer says that Archer will be particularly thankful to Mr. van der Luyden because of his attachment to May’s family. Archer agrees, saying that he knew Mr. van der Luyden would like Ellen. Mr. van der Luyden confirms this and takes his leave. Janey exclaims that the situation is romantic—her family often has no idea what she’s talking about. Mrs. Archer still isn’t convinced everything will be all right.