Volume II: Chapters IV - VI Summary

IV - Coming to a Standstill

Robert visits George's father, Harcourt Talboys. George's father has long since disowned his only son when the boy married Helen, the daughter of a drunken pauper. So inflexible is Mr. Talboys that even Robert's presentation of the facts of George's possible murder falls on deaf ears. Mr. Talboys remains convinced that George is merely playing on his sympathies. Despite all his efforts, nothing Robert says sways the hard and inflexible patriarch. Robert initially hopes Clara, George's sister, will show some sign of remorse or grief at his news but the woman put her face in her hands and never even tries to meet Robert's gaze. Meeting with such solid resistance to his story, Robert believes he ought to give up on the search for his friend's killer...