The Woman in White: The Third Epoch: Part 1, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Walter sets out for Hampshire and visits Mr. Dawson, but Mr. Dawson is unable to give him the date he visited Marian, the same day that Sir Percival left in the night and that Laura was taken to London. The Inn where Sir Percival stayed on the night of his departure is closed and Walter decides to visit Blackwater to speak to the servants. On his way up the drive to the house, he sees a short man dressed in black who he thinks is a clerk. He finds Margaret Poacher there with another female servant and the gardener. The gardener is friendly and talkative but none of them can give Walter the exact date of Laura’s or Sir Percival’s departure.

Walter makes to leave the property but, as he does, sees that the man in black has returned and is watching him. He approaches the man and tries to engage him politely, but the man tries to pick a fight with Walter. Walter knows then that this man is a spy of Sir Percival’s and that he wants Walter to assault him so that Walter will be arrested. Walter, therefore, quickly leaves the grounds and returns to London, disappointed with the day’s inquiries.

Walter now knows that he may have no choice but to threaten or use violence against Sir Percival to get to the secret. Although he wishes to act nobly for Laura’s sake, he also knows that part of him longs to get revenge on Sir Percival for marrying Laura. Since he has had no luck with the dates, he must try and get to Sir Percival through the secret. He decides to find and question Mrs. Clements, Anne Catherick’s companion. He hopes that she will tell him something about Mrs. Catherick which he may be able to use against her, as Mrs. Catherick too knows the secret. He writes to Todd’s Corner, where Anne and Mrs. Clements stayed at Limmeridge, and asks if they know where Mrs. Clements is.

While Walter waits for their reply, Marian tells him the history of Sir Percival’s family. His father was born with a serious “physical deformity” and was not popular in the village of Blackwater. The family left the village after an argument with the local minister and did not return. Sir Percival’s parents both died quite young while living abroad and Sir Percival returned to England as an adult, where he became friends with Laura’s father, Mr. Philip Fairlie.

Although Walter feels that everything has been against him in discovering the truth of the case, his luck changes when he receives the reply from Todd’s Corner which gives him Mrs. Clements’ London address.