The Go-Between: Chapter 19 Summary & Analysis

Leo awaits a telegram from his mother to summon him home, but it doesn’t arrive. He spends the day playing with Marcus, who tells him about the extravagant ball that will happen soon. Marcus again teases Leo for being green. Marcus tells Leo that the Hall is making preparations for Leo’s birthday as part of the ball.

Marcus tells Leo that the highlight of the ball is to be Marian’s arrival on his green bike. If Mrs. Maudsley will let her, Marian will make a grand entrance wearing tights.

Marcus and Leo see the boy who delivers telegraphs to the Hall cycling up towards them. They stop the boy excitedly, but the telegram is not for Leo; it’s from Marian to Mr. Maudsley, and says she’ll be arriving later than planned tomorrow. Leo realizes that a telegram is too expensive for his mother and that most likely a letter will arrive from her very soon.

Wednesday morning comes, and there is still no letter from Leo’s mother. Leo thinks it’s probably a record-breaking high temperature, but resists going to the thermometer “and nibbling at the unripe fruit of knowledge.” Leo thinks about his departure, and whom he ought to thank before he leaves; his mother always asks if there is anyone he should thank.

Leo thinks that he ought to thank Ted and bid him goodbye. He needs a way to evade Marcus and comes up with the idea that Ted is going to give Leo a swimming lesson. Marcus says he wouldn’t mind if Leo drowns Ted—Marcus has a “habit of speaking badly of people, especially those of a lower social status.” Leo departs for the farm.

Leo finds Ted in the field. Ted says he didn’t expect him to come back and wishes Leo good luck for the future. Leo asks if it’s true that Ted might enlist in the army and go to fight in the Boer War. Ted asks who told Leo; Leo says Trimingham. Ted is aware of Marian and Trimingham’s engagement and says that he might go to war; it depends on what Marian wants.

Ted asks whether Leo has told anyone about his and Marian’s “business matter.” Leo says that he hasn’t. Ted now addresses Leo as “Master Colston,” making Leo think Ted has “become acutely conscious of the social gap” between the two of them. Leo asks Ted to call him “postman” instead of the formalities.

Ted apologizes again for shouting at Leo earlier and says that Leo’s questions about “spooning” were only natural. Leo says that it’s fine—he knows someone else he can ask about it. Ted shakes Leo’s hand, saying, “so long then, postman.” As Leo turns to leave, he feels “grieved to be parting” from Ted and offers to take one last message to Marian. Ted gratefully tells Leo to inform Marian that “tomorrow’s no good, I’m going to Norwich, but Friday at half-past six, same as usual.”