Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lady Audley’s Secret, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Women and Power in Victorian England
Appearances and Deception
Poverty and Wealth
Madness
Summary
Analysis
Robert wakes up to find George missing. When he cannot find George near the stream, he assumes his friend has gone back to the hotel to eat. Then he discovers George has not been back to the hotel. The hotel landlord tells him Sir Michael stopped by to invite Robert and George to dinner, so Robert thinks George might have already gone ahead to Audley Court.
George’s disappearance begins to become more complicated for Robert. Unconscious of the change in his own nature, Robert now cares about the whereabouts of his friend and is working hard to find him. Notably, this search leads him to Audley Court.
Themes
At Audley Court, a servant tells Robert that George was there at two o’clock but has not been seen since. Robert begins to feel worried for his friend. He goes to the train station, where he asks the clerk if he has seen George. The clerk is not sure but thinks he saw a man who looked like George get on the train for London. Relieved, Robert decides to dine at Audley Court before taking the next train to London.
Robert begins to feel worried for his friend but is quick to relax again once he believes that George probably went back to London. Robert easily lapses back into his carefree life, but the reader knows something suspicious happened at Audley Court. Robert is not yet the dedicated investigator he will become.
Themes
