Wives and Daughters: Chapter 43 Summary & Analysis

When Molly goes to Cynthia’s bedroom, the two begin to talk about Cynthia’s engagement to Preston. Molly says that if they could only talk to Mr. Gibson about the matter, he would be able to help them. Cynthia grows agitated and says that Gibson must never know of her engagement to Preston, and Molly promises to never tell her father about it. Cynthia then explains that it all started four or five years ago. She and Clare had been in dire financial straits, and Cynthia’s clothes had grown threadbare. Preston was a regular visitor to their house and knew of their difficulties. One day, he found Cynthia alone and offered her £20 that he had in his pocket.

Cynthia accepted the £20, considering it a loan from a friend. She used the money to buy boots and gloves as well as a ball gown. She then attended the ball and had a magnificent time. The day before she was set to leave for school in France, she intended to find Preston and thank him for loaning her the £20 because it had helped her immensely. However, when she found Preston, he desperately declared his love for her. Preston said that if Cynthia promised to marry him, he would forgive her debt to him. Cynthia was surprised and somewhat disturbed and walked away without answering. The next day, Preston continued his entreaties. Cynthia remembered the pressure of poverty she had experienced and, against her better judgment, wrote a letter saying she would marry Preston once she turned 20, but the engagement had to be kept a secret.

As soon as Cynthia sent that letter, she began to hate Preston. She went away to school. And then, during one of her vacations, she wrote to Preston and told him that she wanted nothing to do with him. Preston then began threatening to reveal their engagement to the world and to show her letters to him, in which she sometimes spoke ill of her mother, to other people. Cynthia gave in to the threats and decided to try to avoid upsetting Preston. Cynthia says that since then, she has begged Preston to set her free, but he continues to threaten to make their engagement and her letters public.

Molly says that if Preston went public, he would come out looking worse than Molly would. Molly says she can’t bear for anyone to know the things she said in her letters, and Molly promises to help Cynthia try and recover those letters from Preston. Cynthia also wants to ensure that Preston takes the £20, with interest, that started the whole business of their supposed engagement. Molly promises again not to tell her father (Mr. Gibson) any of what has happened. She then thinks of how badly the information would hurt Roger if he found out, and she vows to try and get Cynthia to make a full confession to him about her relationship with Preston when Roger returns.